The electroretinogram: a useful tool for evaluating age-related macular disease?

Abstract

With an ageing population, the number of age-related macular disease (ARMD) cases will inevitably rise. This gives greater impetus for the need to identify the disease earlier and assess treatments to slow disease progression. Differing electroretinogram (ERG) modalities have been reviewed in relation to the objective assessment of retinal function in ARMD and for monitoring the effectiveness of clinical interventions. Conflicting results have been found with regard to the efficacy of ERG findings in the investigation of ARMD in previous years. The newer multifocal ERG paradigm provides spatial topographical information about retinal function in ARMD. It has shown promising results in monitoring effectiveness of clinical interventions and studies are continuing in this area. Better knowledge of retinal function in ARMD may lead to enhanced treatments at each phase of the disease.

Predicting the Progression of Geographic Atrophy in Age-Related Macular Degeneration With SD-OCT En Face Imaging of the Outer Retina

“…1 Based on electrophysiological testing, it remains controversial whether rods are primarily affected or both rods and cones are similarly affected. [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] Microperimetry has detected photoreceptor abnormalities even before GA develops, and this strategy can also predict the area where existing GA will likely progress. [34][35][36][37][38][39][40] These histopathologic, electrophysiologic, and microperimetric findings in eyes with GA, along with the early visual function deficits and symptoms observed in patients even before GA develops, 41 suggest that photoreceptor dysfunction precedes the appearance and progression of GA in some eyes.…”

Multifocal Electroretinogram Findings after Intravitreal Bevacizumab Injection in Choroidal Neovascularization of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

“…Recently, several studies have assessed the electrophysiological effect of intravitreal bevacizumab [12-14]. The aim of this study is to evaluate the electroretinographic changes of the macula in eyes with CNV due to AMD by means of multifocal electroretinography (mfERG), which reflects retinal function objectively [15], and optical coherence tomography (OCT), before and after intravitreal bevacizumab injection.…”

Electrophysiological and clinical tests in dry age-related macular degeneration follow-up: differences between mfERG and OCT

“…However, it is necessary to specify which electrophysiological technique is required in each case to ensure that the relevant data are obtained. In the case of AMD, in order to identify the disease earlier and assess treatments to slow disease progression, different ERG modalities have been reviewed [18,19]. Thus, in AMD with both structural and functional alterations of the central retina, Ganzfeld ERG (which gives a global vision of retinal function: both central and peripheral) may not be useful.…”