Determining Correlation between Neuroretinal Rim Area and Retinal Functioning for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

Abstract

Glaucomas are optic neuropathies that can be characterized by changes in the structural integrity of the eye and loss of visual field caused by damage to the optic nerve head. Primary open-angle glaucoma in canines is an inherited type of glaucoma and has been linked to an autosomal recessive gene mutation in the ADAMTS10 gene in some species. Little is currently known about how the loss of structural integrity and functional abilities are related as primary open-angle glaucoma progresses, making diagnosis and treatment of the disease difficult. This study focused on determining the correlation between structural parameters and retinal functioning parameters in beagles with primary open-angle glaucoma to distinguish specific structures and functional capabilities of the eye that provide the best insight to the progression and severity of the disease. We hypothesized that there would be a statistically significant non-zero correlation between the selected retinal functional parameters and the neuroretinal rim (NRR) area of dogs with primary open-angle glaucoma inherited from a homozygous autosomal recessive mutation in the ADAMTS10 gene.