Both retinal thinning (due to cell loss) and retinal thickening (due to presumed edema) appear to be associated with lower visual acuity in patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa. The definition of the OCT third high-reflectance band may help to predict which patients are more likely to lose visual acuity as retinal thickness declines. An increase or decrease in retinal thickness of more than 17 microm at fixation or 11 microm over the central 1 mm at follow-up can be considered a significant (P < 0.01) change in these patients.

To determine whether a therapeutic dose of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an-3 fatty acid, will slow the course of retinal degeneration in adult patients with retinitis pigmentosa who are also receiving vitamin A. Design: Randomized, controlled, double-masked trial of 221 patients, aged 18 to 55 years, evaluated over a 4-year interval. Patients were given either 1200 mg/d of docosahexaenoic acid or control capsules. All were given 15000 IU/d of vitamin A (given as retinyl palmitate). Randomization considered genetic type and baseline dietary-3 fatty acid intake. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was the total point score for the 30-2 program of the Humphrey field analyzer; secondary outcome measures were the total point score for the 30-2 and 30/60-1 programs combined, 30-Hz electroretinogram amplitude, and Early Treatment Diabetic Rentinopathy Study visual acuity. Results: No significant differences in decline in ocular function were found between the docosahexaenoic

We recently reported that fellow eyes of patients with unilateral neovascular AMD have on average foveal cone ERG amplitudes that are normal, but implicit (peak) times that are slower than normal.'0 Since a defect in choroidal filling is apparently common in patients with AMD'-3 and is associated with visual dysfunction,46 we investigated whether this angiographic finding was also related to the slowed foveal ERG seen in the fellow eyes of patients with the unilateral neovascular form. MethodsWe evaluated the fellow eyes of 67 patients (ages 61 to 89) with unilateral neovascular AMD. These patients were part of a larger group with unilateral neovascular AMD who are being followed prospectively with foveal cone ERGs and other tests of cone function to predict who will develop a choroidal neovascular membrane in the fellow eye; demographic characteristics and ocular findings of this larger group have been described previously." Eligibility criteria for the present report included a corrected Snellen visual acuity of 20/60 or better, sufficiently clear media to allow detailed evaluation of the fundus, macular drusen, and no sign of other retinal disease in the study eye.These study eyes had a foveal cone ERG recorded and had angiograms of clear, readable quality throughout the transit. The angiograms were read by two of the authors JCR and ARG), masked with respect to results of foveal cone electroretinography, to identify those angiograms with a prolonged choroidal filling phase; the latter was characterised by a non-uniform fluorescence extending over at least 5 disc diameters of the posterior pole persisting through the onset of the venous phase of the retinal circulation. 1Foveal cone ERGs were elicited with a 40 white stimulus flickering at 42 Hz presented by a hand held, dual beam stimulator ophthalmoscope (Maculoscope, Doran Instruments, Littleton, MA, USA) as previously described.'0 12 Responses were monitored with a contact lens electrode, amplified, filtered, digitised, summed, and quantified by Fourier analysis with respect to amplitude and phase; phase was then converted to implicit time (that is, time interval from stimulus onset to the corresponding cornea positive response peak). AbstractAimsBackgroundBerman-Gund