News

Information for Optometrists and CFEH Registered Practitioners:

Some of your Diabetic patients may contact you regarding a recent article in the Australian Diabetes Council journal Diabetes Connect. The Winter 2011 edition of this journal has a particular emphasis on ocular health, and includes an interview with Brisbane researcher, Professor Nathan Efron, regarding new research into the early detection of Diabetic Neuropathy by optometrists.

Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) has since received a number of phone calls regarding the claim that Diabetic Neuropathy may be assessed by an optometrist in a matter of minutes after having a drop of anaesthetic instilled in the eye and a microscope used to capture a 20-second movie for analysis. It was asserted in the article that it "could be five to ten years before the tests are widely accepted as routine procedures".

Professor Efron, an optometrist from the Queensland University of Technology, has received a $5.4 million grant over five years to investigate a cohort of patients, with and without Diabetic Neuropathy, using corneal confocal microscopy. This is an international collaboration, initially focusing on the corneal nerves of the sub-basal nerve plexus.

A correlation appears to exist between Diabetic Neuropathy and corneal nerve fibre density, length and branch density. These images are obtained with the Rostock cornea module of the HRT3. Whilst the CFEH clinic incorporates this instrument, the research has not yet reached a level where a suitable assessment is available for your patients.

Other areas for investigation by Professor Efron's group include non-contact corneal aesthesiometry, examinatino of the retinal nerve fibre layer with optical coherence tomography (OCT), electroretinography (ERG) and perimetry.

The research is aimed at the early, non-invasive detection of Diabetic Neuropathy which may lead to better management and treatment strategies for the condition.

References:

1. Research that could help cure neuropathy. Diabetes Connect Winter 2011. 32-33

2. Efron N. The Glenn A. Fry award lecture 2011: Ophthalmic markers of diabetic neuropathy. Optom Vis Sci. 2011:88:1-23.