Functional testing is a crucial part of assessing retinal and optic nerve diseases in human patients and animals – both in a clinical and research setting. This not only includes the diagnosis of disease, but also monitoring of disease progression and response to newly developed therapies. The electroretinogram (ERG) is the benchmark method for specific testing of retinal function and is routinely used in both clinical and research settings. Altering the testing condition (background light and intensity of light stimulus) allows recording of rod and cone photoreceptor-specific responses. For complete assessment of the visual system, the evaluation of the central visual pathways within the brain is also important. Chromatic pupillometry was recently developed and measures the rate and amplitude of pupil constriction in response to light stimuli of different color, mostly blue and red. Since pupillometry involves the evaluation of retina, optic nerve, and components of the central visual pathways, it complements ERG and visual behavioral testing for complete functional assessment of visually impaired human and animal patients. Chromatic pupillometry is likely going to be considered an additional standard technique in veterinary and comparative ophthalmology; therefore, validation in dogs is a high priority. The goal of this thesis is to develop chromatic pupillometry for specific assessment of canine retina and optic nerve function.
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