Multi-Electrode Electroretinography: Toward Single-Flash Mapping of Retinal Func

描述(由研究人员提供)：由于创伤或疾病造成的视网膜损伤通常是局部性的。监测视网膜功能障碍的空间进展对常见视网膜病变的诊断、研究和治疗很重要，对早期诊断至关重要。因此，非侵入性方法测量视力的空间缺陷是重要的，Humphrey视野测试(Hvf)和多焦视网膜电图(MfERG)的广泛使用证明了这一点。本文提出了一种利用传统的全场刺激和角膜上的电极阵列来定位视网膜活动空间差异的新方法(多电极视网膜电信号，meERG)。这种方法克服了由HVF和mfERG方法施加的几个限制。特别是，它只需几秒钟的记录时间就可以直接测量视网膜健康状况，而HVF和mfERG需要几分钟的时间，从而避免了中心视力低的患者难以达到的长时间注视。此外，meERG直接测量包含临床有用信息的视网膜功能；hvf和mfERG提供间接测量。这一建议得到了试验数据的支持，包括实验数据(在RAT中)和来自计算三维有限元(FE)模型的数据。要建立使用meERG记录绘制视网膜活动图的概念证明，将达到三个目标。首先，将制作包含13个电极的隐形眼镜电极阵列。其次，将描述视网膜活动的空间变化和相应的角膜电位之间的关系。空间变异的视网膜活动(“视网膜功能障碍”)将在不均匀的光照和焦点激光损伤下引起。第三，基于几种视网膜功能障碍场景下的meERG数据，对大鼠眼的有限元模型进行优化和验证(前向问题)。一旦通过正向问题建立了视网膜活动的meERG映射的概念证明，反问题计算的发展就会随之而来(超出了本R21提案的范围)。逆问题类似于使用体表电位绘制大脑和心脏活动的功能图，并将直接受益于数十年来在这些领域的工作。MEERG方法可以很容易地扩展到人体研究和UIC眼科和视觉科学部的临床环境，尽管在动物研究中的潜在应用也很重要。公共卫生相关性：由于创伤或疾病造成的视网膜损伤通常是局部性的。监测视网膜功能障碍的空间进展对常见视网膜病变的诊断、研究和治疗很重要，对早期诊断至关重要。本文提出了一种利用全场刺激和角膜电极阵列绘制视网膜活动空间差异图的新方法。与现有的方法相比，这种方法有几个优点。

DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): Damage to the retina, due to trauma or disease, is usually localized. Monitoring the spatial progression of retinal dysfunction is important to the diagnosis, study, and treatment of prevalent retinal pathologies, and can be critical to early diagnosis. Non-invasive methods to measure spatial deficits in vision are therefore important, as evidenced by the widespread use of the Humphrey visual field test (HVF) and the multi- focal electroretinogram (mfERG). A new method for mapping spatial differences in retinal activity, using a conventional full-field stimulus and an array of electrodes on the cornea, is proposed here (the multi-electrode electroretinogram, meERG). This method overcomes several of the limitations imposed by the HVF and mfERG methods. In particular, it will provide direct measurement of retinal health with just a few seconds of recording time, as compared to several minutes of time required with the HVF and mfERG, thereby avoiding the long fixation times that are difficult for patients with low central vision to achieve. Further, the meERG makes a direct measurement of retinal function containing clinically-useful information; the HVF and mfERG provide indirect measures. This proposal is supported by pilot data, both experimental (in rat) and from computational 3-D finite element (FE) models. To establish the proof of concept of mapping retinal activity using meERG recording, three objectives will be met. First, a contact lens electrode array containing 13 electrodes will be fabricated. Second, the relationship between spatial variations in retinal activity and corresponding corneal potentials will be characterized. Spatially-variant retinal activity ("retinal dysfunction") will be elicited using inhomogeneous illumination and focal laser damage. Third, the FE model of the rat eye will be optimized and validated based on the meERG data under several retinal dysfunction scenarios (forward problem). Once the proof of concept for meERG mapping of retinal activity has been established via the forward problem, development of the inverse problem computation would follow (beyond the scope of this R21 proposal). The inverse problem is analogous to functional mapping of brain and cardiac activity using body surface potentials, and will benefit directly from the decades of work in those areas. The meERG approach can be easily extended to human studies and the clinical setting at the UIC Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, though the potential applications in animal studies are also significant. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Damage to the retina, due to trauma or disease, is usually localized. Monitoring the spatial progression of retinal dysfunction is important to the diagnosis, study, and treatment of prevalent retinal pathologies, and can be critical to early diagnosis. A new method for mapping spatial differences in retinal activity, using a full-field stimulus and an array of electrodes on the cornea, is proposed here. This method has several advantages over existing methods.