Journal article
Diabetic retinopathy is a neurodegenerative disorder
Vision Research, Vol.139, pp.101-107
10/2017
DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2017.03.003
PMCID: PMC5659971
PMID: 28408138
Abstract
Since 1875, controversy has ensued over whether ocular diabetic complications are primarily vasculopathic or neuropathic in nature. Here, we discuss the historical context by which diabetic retinopathy (DR) came to be considered a primary vasculopathy, in contrast to more recent data suggesting the importance of diabetic retinal neurodegeneration (DRN) as the primary manifestation of ocular diabetic damage. Unsurprisingly, DRN parallels other diabetic complications related to neuropathy. In general, there are three possible relationships between microvascular DR and DRN: i) microvasculopathy causes neurodegeneration; ii) neurodegeneration causes microvasculopathy or iii) they are mutually independent. The authors’ group has recently produced experimental data showing that DRN precedes even the earliest manifestations of DR microvasculopathy. In combination with earlier studies showing that focal implicit time delays predicted future development of DR microvasculopathy in the same location, relationships i) and iii) are unlikely. As such, ii) is the most likely relationship: DRN is a cause of DR. Granted, additional studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis and elucidate the mechanism of diabetes-induced neurodegeneration. We conclude this review by proposing experimental approaches to test the hypothesis that DRN causes DR. If confirmed, this new paradigm may lead to earlier detection of ocular diabetic damage and earlier treatment of early DR, thereby preventing visual loss in people with diabetes.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Diabetic retinopathy is a neurodegenerative disorder
- Creators
- Stephanie K Lynch - Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAMichael D Abràmoff - Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Vision Research, Vol.139, pp.101-107
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.visres.2017.03.003
- PMID
- 28408138
- PMCID
- PMC5659971
- NLM abbreviation
- Vision Res
- ISSN
- 0042-6989
- eISSN
- 1878-5646
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/2017
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Record Identifier
- 9983806265702771
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