Elsner A E, Burns S A, Beausencourt E, Weiter J J
Schepens Eye Research Institute and Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1998 Nov;39(12):2394-404.
To map the photopigment distribution of central foveal cones in healthy adult subjects before potential onset of age-related macular degeneration. To compare alterations in cone photopigment distribution to those of macular pigment and examine those loci for subretinal changes.
Eleven healthy subjects (age range, 31-59 years) underwent reflectometry with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The difference in cone photopigment density in the fovea was mapped for the long-wavelength- and middle-wavelength-sensitive cones, using 594-nm light. Macular pigment was mapped with 488-nm and 514-nm light. Subretinal changes were investigated with infrared imaging (830-860 nm).
Most subjects had small alterations in the regularity of their foveal cone photopigment distribution. Alterations were spatially related to macular pigment alterations but not to the presence of subretinal defects. Subjects were classified into three groups according to the type of alterations in the regularity of pigment distributions: central peak of photopigment and macular pigment, small foveal alterations, and broad distribution with missing central peak of photopigment or macular pigment. The resultant groups differed significantly in age, 43, 46, and 59 years, for groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (P < 0.05).
Small alterations in the distributions of foveal cone photopigment or macular pigment were found that varied among the subjects. Larger alterations in older subjects may indicate changes in foveal architecture with age, including potential vulnerability of central cones before the onset of clinically significant changes in the retinal pigment epithelium.
在年龄相关性黄斑变性潜在发病前，绘制健康成年受试者中央凹视锥细胞光色素分布图谱。比较视锥细胞光色素分布变化与黄斑色素分布变化，并检查这些位点是否存在视网膜下改变。
11名健康受试者（年龄范围31 - 59岁）接受了扫描激光检眼镜反射测量。使用594nm光绘制中央凹长波长和中波长敏感视锥细胞的视锥细胞光色素密度差异图谱。用488nm和514nm光绘制黄斑色素图谱。用红外成像（830 - 860nm）研究视网膜下改变。
大多数受试者的中央凹视锥细胞光色素分布规律有微小改变。这些改变在空间上与黄斑色素改变相关，但与视网膜下缺陷的存在无关。根据色素分布规律改变的类型，受试者被分为三组：光色素和黄斑色素的中央峰值、中央凹微小改变、光色素或黄斑色素中央峰值缺失的广泛分布。三组的年龄差异显著，第1、2、3组的年龄分别为43岁、46岁和59岁（P < 0.05）。
发现中央凹视锥细胞光色素或黄斑色素分布存在微小改变，且个体间存在差异。老年受试者中较大的改变可能表明随着年龄增长中央凹结构发生变化，包括在视网膜色素上皮出现临床显著变化之前中央视锥细胞的潜在易损性。
