TY  - JOUR
AU  - Gehlen, Jana
AU  - Esser, Stefan
AU  - Schaffrath, Kim
AU  - Johnen, Sandra
AU  - Walter, Peter
AU  - Müller, Frank
TI  - Blockade of Retinal Oscillations by Benzodiazepines Improves Efficiency of Electrical Stimulation in the Mouse Model of RP, rd10
JO  - Investigative ophthalmology & visual science
VL  - 61
IS  - 13
SN  - 1552-5783
CY  - Rockville, Md.
PB  - ARVO
M1  - FZJ-2020-05388
SP  - 37 -
PY  - 2020
AB  - Purpose: In RP, photoreceptors degenerate. Retinal prostheses are considered a suitable strategy to restore vision. In animal models of RP, a pathologic rhythmic activity seems to compromise the efficiency of retinal ganglion cell stimulation by an electrical prosthesis. We, therefore, strove to eliminate this pathologic activity.Methods: Electrophysiologic recordings of local field potentials and spike activity of retinal ganglion cells were obtained in vitro from retinae of wild-type and rd10 mice using multielectrode arrays. Retinae were stimulated electrically.Results: The efficiency of electrical stimulation was lower in rd10 retina than in wild-type retina and this was highly correlated with the presence of oscillations in retinal activity. Glycine and GABA, as well as the benzodiazepines diazepam, lorazepam, and flunitrazepam, abolished retinal oscillations and, most important, increased the efficiency of electrical stimulation to values similar to those in wild-type retina.Conclusions: Treatment of patients with these benzodiazepines may offer a way to improve the performance of retinal implants in cases with poor implant proficiency. This study may open the way to a therapy that supports electrical stimulation by prostheses with pharmacologic treatment.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
C6  - 33252632
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000595313500031
DO  - DOI:10.1167/iovs.61.13.37
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/889014
ER  -