Decreased Ocular Pulse Amplitude and Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer in Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess ocular pulse amplitude and retinal nerve fibre layer in patients with multiple sclerosis and their correlation with disease duration and with severity. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness was measured by Heidelberg Retinal Tomography II (HRT-II; Heidelberg Engineering, Dossenheim, Germany) and ocular pulse amplitude was measured by dynamic contour tonometry (Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems, Port, Switzerland) in 37 multiple sclerosis patients and 72 age-and gender-matched controls. Ocular pulse amplitude was significantly reduced and retinal nerve fibre layer was significantly thinner in temporal, superotemporal, and nasal sectors in patients with multiple sclerosis regardless of having an optic neuritis attack. The retinal nerve fibre layer was thinner in eyes with a previous optic neuritis attack compared with the eyes without an attack, but the difference was not significant. Ocular pulse amplitude showed a positive correlation with visual evoked potential amplitude and a negative correlation with visual evoked potential latency. Retinal nerve fibre layer thickness showed a significant negative correlation with the disease duration but not with visually evoked potential, disease severity, nor previous optic neuritis. These findings indicate that the process of degeneration starts in the early period of the disease, as our study group is composed of earlymiddle-stage multiple sclerosis patients, and is independent of relapses.

Changes in intraocular pressure and ocular pulse amplitude of rhesus macaques after blue light scleral cross-linking

“…Ebru Nevin Çetin et al confirmed that the OPA in patients with Behcet's disease with ocular lesions was lower than that in patients with Behcet's disease without ocular lesions and that in the normal controls [ 7 ]. Ebru n. Cetin et al also confirmed that the OPA in patients with multiple sclerosis was lower than that in the controls [ 8 ]. Based on the experiences of our research group from a previous investigation, this study aimed to observe the changes in the IOP and OPA after blue light-riboflavin induced SXL in the eyes of rhesus monkeys and provide some experimental basis for the clinical application of the blue light SXL technique.…”