How to Detect and Treatment Early Neural Dysfunction in Diabetic Retinopathy

Abstract

Diabetic retinopathy is clinically diagnosed by the presence of retinal vascular pathology which typically takes ~10 years to develop after diabetes onset. Recent evidence from animal models and patients with diabetes shows retinal neuronal changes with diabetes, prior to vascular pathology. In my lab, we have shown that early neuronal dysfunction is detectable using the non-invasive test of retinal electrical activity in response to a dim flash. Additionally, we found that levodopa treatment is protective for early retinal dysfunction in diabetic retinopathy. Data from pre-clinical and clinical studies will be presented.