Measuring photopic negative response (PhNR) with the RETeval system (LKC Technologies) could be a valuable objective tool for assessing early glaucoma patients. The RETeval device is handheld, affordable, fast, and easy to interpret, the manufacturer said in a statement.

Researchers from Athens investigated structural and functional changes in the optic nerve in patients with early glaucoma under treatment. They compared optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements and electroretinogram parameters obtained from the RETeval system and reported their findings in Sensor. A total of 59 eyes from patients with early glaucoma under treatment comprised the case group, and 63 healthy eyes comprised the control group. The analysis revealed no statistical difference between the right and left eye for both groups, but statistically significant differences were found between age interval subgroups (30-54 and 55-80 years old) for the control group — mainly for the time response part of the RETeval parameters, the investigators wrote. These differences were not identified by the OCT system. There was a statistically significant difference between the control and case group for both OCT (RNFL thickness) and the RETeval parameters (PhNR). The authors stated that RNFL was found to be correlated to b-wave (ms) and W-ratio parameters.