A 2025 study evaluating 122 participants demonstrates that diabetic retinal neurodegeneration (DRN) begins before visible diabetic retinopathy and progresses even in early stages . Patients with diabetes showed significant impairment in handheld radial shape discrimination (hRSD) and s ubtle visual acuity decline, accompanied by OCT- detectable thinning of the RNFL, GCL, IPL, and ONL across multiple ETDRS subfields ( p < 0.05 ). Worse hRSD performance correlated with inner retinal thinning, strengthening the link between functional loss and neurostructural damage.
Longitudinal follow-up confirmed progressive thinning of GCL, IPL, and INL over ~200 days , underscoring DRN as an active early disease process rather than a passive bystander. To read more; Click here Are you screening for neurodegeneration before retinopathy becomes clinically visible? ##Reference## Ku, J.Y., Knox, P.C.,…
