%0 Journal Article
%T Observation on the changes of visual field and optic nerve fiber layer thickness in patients with early diabetic retinopathy.
%A Yang C
%A Zhou C
%J Photodiagnosis Photodyn Ther
%V 47
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 7
%M 38723758
%F 3.577
%R 10.1016/j.pdpdt.2024.104197
%X <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and is a leading cause of vision loss. Early detection of DR-related neurodegenerative changes is crucial for effective management and prevention of vision loss in diabetic patients.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>In this study, we employed spectral-domain polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (SD PS-OCT) to assess retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) changes in 120 eyes from 60 types 1 DM patients without clinical DR and 60 age-matched healthy controls. Visual field testing was performed to evaluate mean sensitivity (MS) and mean defect (MD) as indicators of visual function.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>SD PS-OCT measurements revealed significant reductions in RNFL birefringence, retardation, and thickness in type 1 DM patients compared to healthy controls. Visual field testing showed decreased MS and increased MD in DM patients, indicating functional impairment correlated with RNFL alterations.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Our findings demonstrate early neurodegenerative changes in the RNFL of type 1 DM patients without clinical DR, highlighting the potential of SD PS-OCT as a sensitive tool for early detection of subclinical DR-related neurodegeneration. These results underscore the importance of regular ophthalmic screenings in diabetic patients to enable timely intervention and prevent vision-threatening complications.