Optoretinography: All-optical measures of functional activity in the human retina

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract The optoretinogram (ORG) holds great promise as a probe of cone function in normal eyes, in the assessment of disease states of cones in disease, and in the evaluation of therapeutic interventions. To achieve its promise, the cellular and molecular basis of the ORG needs to be established, and methods standardized for application in the clinical setting. This supplement will pursue research opportunities that have opened up under the current Bioengineering research partnership, but were previously unforeseen. These include the addition of adaptive optics to rodent optoretinography in order to improve signal fidelity and resolution at Stanford University. Second, in a collaborative effort between UC Davis and UW, a key discrepancy was discovered previously in all extant measures of pigment bleaching; this supplement will aim to resolve this issue and elucidate the mechanistic basis of the cone ORG. Lastly, the rapid development of a patient-friendly variant of the ORG at UW has accelerated the recruitment of patients with inherited retinal disease, and created an opportunity to standardize the ORG protocols for studying genotype-phenotype correlations in a clinical setting. Support from the supplement will provide an avenue to explore these three unanticipated, exciting and critical areas, thus providing synergy to the clinical, technological and mechanistic facets of the project.