Optical blur on the retina of eye

眼睛视网膜上的光学模糊

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06042
• 负责人: Campbell, Melanie
• 金额: $ 1.75万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=613902
• 关键词: Optical; blur; retina; eye

The two directions of the research are A) to study the eye’s optics in normal and abnormal development; B) to image, in the retina, proteins associated with neuron damage as markers of age-related changes. Aims in this period are to: A1) determine how optical components alter with eye length, to bring the eye into focus; A2) analyze optical signals to eye growth during defocus; A3) quantify which central and peripheral retinal signals to defocus can be sampled by the cone cell mosaic; B1) confirm which and in what morphologies, protein deposits are present in older, ex vivo retinas; B2) measure the interaction of the deposits with polarized light and their spectroscopic signatures and B3) develop in vivo imaging and detection methods that differentiate these proteins. During normal eye growth and in response to defocus induced by lenses, the eye’s length, optics and molecular signals change, decreasing defocus blur. We will study changes during growth towards best focus in response to changes in rearing conditions. The retina responds to optical signals to the two directions of defocus and adjusts eye growth but these signals are not understood. We will analyze the differences in candidate signals with the amount of blur and sign of defocus and will define the signals which could be “seen” by retinal cells. We will also study the subsequent molecular signals to growth. It’s important to understand the optical and molecular signalling in normal growth because abnormal growth and nearsightedness (myopia) occur when signals are disrupted. Myopia is increasing worldwide (eg affecting 96% of urban teenagers in Korea). We will also gain better insight into why outdoor exposure is protective against myopia and how novel corrective lenses slow its progression. In our eye development study, we will use adaptive optics to correct optical blur of the eye, allowing us to resolve cone photoreceptor cells in the retina. Our imaging with polarized light has improved the visibility of deposits of one protein (amyloid beta) in the retina at the rear of the eye. We will confirm that other protein aggregates increase in number with age in the retina. These misfolded proteins form ordered fibrils which are also likely to become visible in polarized light. We will study different protein types in ex vivo retinas using polarimetry to quantify their interactions with light. Spectroscopic signatures will also be analyzed to develop an in vivo method of differentiating the proteins. These deposits may partially explain age related decreases in visual function and could give insight into the increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders with age. Imaging them in the retina, as markers of deposits in the brain, would provide a new class of diagnostics of neuron damage, much less invasive and less costly than brain imaging.

这项研究的两个方向是A)研究眼睛在正常和异常发育中的光学；B)在视网膜中成像与神经元损伤相关的蛋白质，作为与年龄相关的变化的标志。在此期间的目标是：A1)确定光学元件如何随眼睛长度变化，以使眼睛成为焦点；A2)分析离焦期间眼睛生长的光学信号；A3)量化哪些中央和外围视网膜信号可以通过锥体细胞马赛克进行采样；B1)确认在哪些形态下，蛋白质沉积存在于较老的体外视网膜中；B2)测量沉积与偏振光及其光谱特征的相互作用；以及B3)建立体内成像和检测方法来区分这些蛋白质。 在正常的眼睛生长过程中，为了应对镜片引起的离焦，眼睛的长度、光学和分子信号会发生变化，从而减少离焦模糊。我们将研究生长期间的变化，以最大限度地集中精力，以应对饲养条件的变化。视网膜对散焦的两个方向的光信号做出反应，并调整眼睛的生长，但这些信号还不被理解。我们将用模糊的程度和离焦的符号来分析候选信号的差异，并定义哪些信号可以被视网膜细胞“看到”。我们还将研究生长的后续分子信号。了解正常生长中的光学和分子信号是很重要的，因为当信号被干扰时，就会发生异常生长和近视(近视)。近视在全球范围内呈上升趋势(例如韩国96%的城市青少年受到近视的影响)。我们还将更好地了解为什么户外暴露对近视具有保护作用，以及新型矫正镜片如何减缓近视的发展。 在我们的眼睛发育研究中，我们将使用自适应光学来纠正眼睛的光学模糊，使我们能够解析视网膜中的视锥感光细胞。我们的偏振光成像提高了眼睛后部视网膜中一种蛋白质(淀粉样β蛋白)沉积的可见度。我们将证实视网膜中的其他蛋白质聚集体的数量随着年龄的增长而增加。这些错误折叠的蛋白质形成有序的纤维，在偏振光下也可能变得可见。我们将使用旋光法研究体外视网膜中的不同蛋白质类型，以量化它们与光的相互作用。还将分析光谱特征，以开发一种在体内区分蛋白质的方法。这些沉积可以部分解释与年龄相关的视觉功能下降，并可以洞察到随着年龄的增长，神经退行性疾病的风险增加。在视网膜中对它们进行成像，作为大脑中沉积的标志，将提供一种新的神经元损伤诊断方法，比大脑成像具有更小的侵入性和更低的成本。