Humayun M S, de Juan E
Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
Eye (Lond). 1998;12 ( Pt 3b):605-7. doi: 10.1038/eye.1998.151.
Outer retinal degenerations such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) lead to blindness because of photoreceptor degeneration. To test whether controlled electrical stimulation of the remaining retinal neurons could provide form vision, we electrically stimulated the inner retinal surface with micro-electrodes inserted through the sclera/eye wall of 14 of these patients (12 RP and 2 AMD). This procedure was performed in the operating room under local anaesthesia and all responses were recorded via a video camera mounted on the surgical microscope. Electrical stimulation of the inner retinal surface elicited visual perception of a spot of light (phosphene) in all subjects. This perception was retinotopically correct in 13 of 14 patients. In a resolution test in a subject with no light perception, the patient could resolve phosphenes at 1.75 degrees centre-to-centre distance (i.e. visual acuity compatible with mobility; Snellen visual acuity of 4/200).
视网膜色素变性（RP）和年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD）等外层视网膜变性会因光感受器变性而导致失明。为了测试对剩余视网膜神经元进行可控电刺激是否能提供形态视觉，我们通过插入14例此类患者（12例RP和2例AMD）巩膜/眼壁的微电极对视网膜内表面进行电刺激。该操作在手术室局部麻醉下进行，所有反应均通过安装在手术显微镜上的摄像机记录。对视网膜内表面进行电刺激在所有受试者中均引发了光斑（光幻视）的视觉感知。在14例患者中的13例中，这种感知在视网膜定位上是正确的。在一名无光感受试者的分辨率测试中，该患者能够分辨中心距为1.75度的光幻视（即与行动能力相适应的视力；斯内伦视力为4/200）。
