Friedel Evelyn B N, Tebartz van Elst Ludger, Beringer Malina, Endres Dominique, Runge Kimon, Maier Simon, Kornmeier Jürgen, Bach Michael, Domschke Katharina, Heinrich Sven P, Nickel Kathrin
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Eye Center, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2024 May 28. doi: 10.1007/s00406-024-01826-8.
The electroretinogram (ERG), a non-invasive electrophysiological tool used in ophthalmology, is increasingly applied to investigate neural correlates of depression. The present study aimed to reconsider previous findings in major depressive disorder (MDD) reporting (1) a diminished contrast sensitivity and (2) a reduced patten ERG (PERG) amplitude ratio, and additionally, to assess (3) the photopic negative response (PhNR) from the flash ERG (fERG), with the RETeval® device, a more practical option for clinical routine use. We examined 30 patients with a MDD and 42 healthy controls (HC), assessing individual contrast sensitivity thresholds with an optotype-based contrast test. Moreover, we compared the PERG ratio, an established method for early glaucoma detection, between both groups. The handheld ERG device was used to measure amplitudes and peak times of the fERG components including a-wave, b-wave and PhNR in both MDD patients and HCs. MDD patients exhibited diminished contrast sensitivity together with a reduced PERG ratio, compared to HC. With the handheld ERG device, we found reduced a-wave amplitudes in MDD, whereas no significant differences were observed in the fERG b-wave or PhNR between patients and controls. The reduced contrast sensitivity and PERG ratio in MDD patients supports the hypothesis that depression is associated with altered visual processing. The findings underscore the PERG's potential as a possible objective marker for depression. The reduced a-wave amplitude recorded with the RETeval® system in MDD patients might open new avenues for using handheld ERG devices as simplified approaches for advancing depression research compared to the PERG.
视网膜电图（ERG）是眼科中使用的一种非侵入性电生理工具，越来越多地应用于研究抑郁症的神经相关性。本研究旨在重新审视先前关于重度抑郁症（MDD）的研究结果，这些结果报告称：（1）对比敏感度降低；（2）图形视网膜电图（PERG）振幅比降低；此外，使用RETeval®设备评估（3）闪光视网膜电图（fERG）中的明视负反应（PhNR），这是临床常规使用中更实用的选择。我们检查了30名MDD患者和42名健康对照者（HC），通过基于视标的对比测试评估个体对比敏感度阈值。此外，我们比较了两组之间用于早期青光眼检测的既定方法——PERG比率。使用手持式ERG设备测量MDD患者和HC中fERG成分（包括a波、b波和PhNR）的振幅和峰值时间。与HC相比，MDD患者的对比敏感度降低，同时PERG比率降低。使用手持式ERG设备，我们发现MDD患者的a波振幅降低，而患者与对照组之间在fERG b波或PhNR方面未观察到显著差异。MDD患者对比敏感度和PERG比率降低支持了抑郁症与视觉处理改变有关的假设。这些发现强调了PERG作为抑郁症可能客观标志物的潜力。与PERG相比，RETeval®系统在MDD患者中记录到的a波振幅降低可能为使用手持式ERG设备作为推进抑郁症研究的简化方法开辟新途径。
