Flicker has no effect on retinal perfusion: study

Projecting flicker and other pattern stimuli onto the retina caused no change in retinal blood perfusion in a study using a prototype device.

Elmar T. Schmeisser and colleagues at University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio used the prototype stimulator to project flicker, alternating checkerboards and other patterns onto the retinas of 10 patients. During this stimulation, the patients’ retinal capillary perfusion was simultaneously measured using the Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter (HRF).

The researchers found that the perfusion values during flicker and pattern stimulation were not significantly different from control values.

The current study’s findings contradict previous findings, the authors noted. Previous studies, including work in their own lab, found a flicker-induced increase in HRF perfusion values. The researchers theorized that some aspect of their stimulation or image acquisition techniques might account for the difference in results.

The study is published in Documenta Ophthalmologica.