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. 2020 Jul 7;9(8):7.
doi: 10.1167/tvst.9.8.7. eCollection 2020 Jul.

Clinical Application of Infrared-Light Microperimetry in the Assessment of Scotopic-Eye Sensitivity

Grzegorz Łabuz  1 , Asu Rayamajhi  1 , Julia Usinger  1 , Katarzyna Komar  2   3 , Patrick Merz  1 , Ramin Khoramnia  1 , Grazyna Palczewska  4   5 , Krzysztof Palczewski  4   6 , Gerd U Auffarth  1
Affiliations

Clinical Application of Infrared-Light Microperimetry in the Assessment of Scotopic-Eye Sensitivity

Grzegorz Łabuz et al. Transl Vis Sci Technol. .

Abstract

Purpose: The eye can see pulsed near-infrared (IR) radiation with the color corresponding to half of the wavelength used. Until recently, the technology required for measuring IR vision was confined to optical laboratories and was not studied clinically. The current investigation sought to determine the values for IR thresholds in a healthy population.

Methods: IR-light threshold was measured in 45 healthy participants, aged from 21 to 70 years. Ten patients with retinal pathology were included for comparison. Ocular media clarity was assessed with a straylight parameter. The sensitivity of dark-adapted eyes (expressed on a 0-26 dB scale) were tested using an IR microperimeter. The device consists of a femtosecond laser that emits 1045 nm light to project a stimulus at the retina.

Results: All participants were able to see the IR stimulus, which they perceived as green, and all performed the test. Measurements at seven locations revealed lower sensitivity at the fovea (15.5 dB) than in paracentral regions (18.2 dB). We noted a significant straylight increase with age. Although, in our study population, it was only a slight, -0.18 dB decline per decade of the average IR-sensitivity. The retinal-pathology group demonstrated impaired sensitivity to IR light.

Conclusions: We showed that IR-light sensitivity does not significantly decrease with age despite a straylight increase. A reference level for the IR threshold was proposed. The application of IR-light microperimetry can be extended to the assessment of retinal pathology.

Translational relevance: IR-light microperimetry could be applied clinically to measure visual function.

Keywords: IR threshold; aging; scotopic sensitivity; straylight.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: G. Łabuz, None; A. Rayamajhi, None; J. Usinger, None; K. Komar (P); P. Merz, None; R. Khoramnia (F); G. Palczewska (P, F); K. Palczewski (F); G.U. Auffarth (F)

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Schematic diagram of the experimental setup. An exemplary SLO image shows the position of the stimuli (blue circles) and the fixation point (yellow cross). IR, infrared; SM, single mode; NDF, neutral density filter; PM, power meter; PH, pinhole; LD, laser diode; APD, avalanche photodiode; SLO, scanning laser ophthalmoscopy; PC, personal computer.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The average IR sensitivity value as a function of age in the normal population (crosses), compared with that of patients with AMD (squares) and diabetic retinopathy (diamonds). The solid and dashed line refers to the 0.50 quantile of the normal and retinal-disease eyes, respectively.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
The average IR sensitivity at seven retinal loci. N, nasal; S, superior; T, temporal; I, inferior. Middle lines, median; box edges, the 25th (bottom) and 75th (top) percentiles; whiskers, adjacent values; crosses, outliers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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