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Rod Photoreceptor Temporal Properties in Retinal Degenerative Diseases

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Retinal Degenerative Diseases

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 723))

Abstract

Using paired-flash electroretinogram (ERG), our goal was to determine whether the inactivation of rod phototransduction is altered in patients with Retinal Degenerative Diseases (RDDs). The rod photoresponses were derived from 18 patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) (n = 18), 5 patients with cone–rod dystrophy (CRD), and 4 patients with Stargardt disease. Thirteen subjects with normal eye exams served as controls. T sat, the parameter describing phototransduction inactivation, was derived using the paired-flash ERG protocol. Rod a-wave recovery initiates at 544 ± 92 ms (mean ± SD) after a just-saturating test flash in subjects with normal vision. For patients with RDDs, the rod a-wave recovery initiates at 331 ± 99 ms (autosomal dominant RP, P < 0.001, t-test), 473 ± 113 ms (CRD, P = 0.26, t-test), and 491 ± 98 ms (Stargardt disease, P = 0.38, t-test). Thus patients with adRP show earlier-than-normal photoresponse recovery, while patients with CRD or Stargardt disease typically have T sat values within the normal range.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Dianna Hughbanks-Wheaton and Kaylie Clark at the Southwest Eye Registry and the Daiger lab at UT Houston for coordinating and performing genetic testing. This investigation was supported by US National Institutes of Health grant (NEI R01 09076) to D.G.B and D.C.H. and the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rose-Silverthorne Retinal Degenerations Laboratory, Retina Foundation of the Southwest, 9900 N Central Expressway, Suite 400, Dallas, TX, 75231, USA

    Yuquan Wen, Kirsten G. Locke & David G. Birch

  2. Department of Psychology and Ophthalmology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Donald C. Hood

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA

    David G. Birch

Authors
  1. Yuquan Wen
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  2. Kirsten G. Locke
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  3. Donald C. Hood
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  4. David G. Birch
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yuquan Wen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, San Francisco, n/a, San Francisco, 94143, USA

    Matthew M. LaVail

  2. University of Oklahoma Health Sciences C, Oklahoma City, 73104, USA

    John D. Ash

  3. Health Science Center, Dean A. McGee Eye Inst., University of Oklahoma, Stanton L. Young Blvd. 608, OKLAHOMA CITY, 73104, Oklahoma, USA

    Robert E. Anderson

  4. Division of Ophthalmology, Cole Eye Institute at the Cleveland Clin, Euclid Ave. 9500, Cleveland, 44195, Ohio, USA

    Joe G. Hollyfield

  5. Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Zurich, ZURICH, 8091, Switzerland

    Christian Grimm

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Wen, Y., Locke, K.G., Hood, D.C., Birch, D.G. (2012). Rod Photoreceptor Temporal Properties in Retinal Degenerative Diseases. In: LaVail, M., Ash, J., Anderson, R., Hollyfield, J., Grimm, C. (eds) Retinal Degenerative Diseases. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 723. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0631-0_62

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