Biophysical methods to monitor lens aging and pre-cataractous changes in vivo.

When monitoring for drug induced lenticular side effects and/or anti-cataract drug efficacy, it would be advantageous to detect such effects prior to the onset of a cataract. Our MRI technique can detect precataractous changes in the lens water compartments (T2 values) months to years before opacities become manifest. The in vivo human and animal studies correlate well with in vitro NMR pulse relaxation data on such lenses. The MRI technique requires 2-4 minutes per eye and provides excellent pictures of the globe as well as T2 values. These data correlate well with our in vivo lens fluorescence technique thereby providing two parameters capable of evaluating potential drug induced changes in the lens well before the cataract becomes manifest.