Abstract：
The electroretinogram (ERG), a non-invasive electrophysiological tool used in ophthalmology, is increasingly applied to investigate neural correlates of depression. The present study aimed to reconsider previous findings in major depressive disorder (MDD) reporting (1) a diminished contrast sensitivity and (2) a reduced patten ERG (PERG) amplitude ratio, and additionally, to assess (3) the photopic negative response (PhNR) from the flash ERG (fERG), with the RETeval® device, a more practical option for clinical routine use. We examined 30 patients with a MDD and 42 healthy controls (HC), assessing individual contrast sensitivity thresholds with an optotype-based contrast test. Moreover, we compared the PERG ratio, an established method for early glaucoma detection, between both groups. The handheld ERG device was used to measure amplitudes and peak times of the fERG components including a-wave, b-wave and PhNR in both MDD patients and HCs. MDD patients exhibited diminished contrast sensitivity together with a reduced PERG ratio, compared to HC. With the handheld ERG device, we found reduced a-wave amplitudes in MDD, whereas no significant differences were observed in the fERG b-wave or PhNR between patients and controls. The reduced contrast sensitivity and PERG ratio in MDD patients supports the hypothesis that depression is associated with altered visual processing. The findings underscore the PERG\'s potential as a possible objective marker for depression. The reduced a-wave amplitude recorded with the RETeval® system in MDD patients might open new avenues for using handheld ERG devices as simplified approaches for advancing depression research compared to the PERG.
摘要：
视网膜电图（ERG），一种用于眼科的非侵入性电生理工具，越来越多地用于研究抑郁症的神经相关性。本研究旨在重新考虑以前在重度抑郁症（MDD）报告中的发现（1）对比敏感度降低和（2）ERG（PERG）振幅比降低，此外，评估（3）来自闪光ERG（fERG）的明视负反应（PhNR），使用RETeval®设备，临床常规使用更实用的选择。我们检查了30例MDD患者和42例健康对照（HC），用基于验模的对比试验评估个体对比敏感度阈值。此外，我们比较了PERG比率，一种早期青光眼检测的既定方法，两组之间。手持ERG设备用于测量包括a波在内的fERG分量的振幅和峰值时间，MDD患者和HCs的b波和PhNR。MDD患者表现出对比敏感度降低以及PERG比率降低，与HC相比。有了手持式ERG设备，我们发现MDD中的a波振幅降低,而患者和对照组之间的fERGb波或PhNR没有显着差异。MDD患者的对比敏感度和PERG比率降低支持以下假设：抑郁症与视觉处理改变有关。这些发现强调了PERG作为抑郁症可能的客观标志物的潜力。与PERG相比，RETeval®系统在MDD患者中记录的降低的a波振幅可能为使用手持式ERG设备作为推进抑郁症研究的简化方法开辟了新的途径。
