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Retinal contrast may aid in diagnosis, classification of depression
Biol Psychiatry. 2010;68(2):205-208.
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A reduction in contrast perception may correlate with an increase in depressed mood, a finding that could potentially lead to an objective test for depression, according to a study.
Researchers noted significantly lower retinal contrast gain, as measured by pattern electroretinogram, in patients with a previous diagnosis of depression compared with patients with no history of depression. Further analysis showed a specificity of 92.5% and a sensitivity of 77.5% for classifying patients.
"We found a strong and significant correlation between contrast gain and severity of depression. This marker distinguishes most patients on a single-case basis from control subjects," the study authors wrote.
The results may lead to an objective biomarker using pattern electroretinogram for diagnosing and classifying depression, according to the researchers. They noted, however, that the findings still need to be replicated in larger trials.
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