Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-5485
Authors: Hopf, Susanne
Nowak, Caroline
Hennermann, Julia B.
Schmidtmann, Irene
Pfeiffer, Norbert
Pitz, Susanne
Title: Saccadic reaction time and ocular findings in phenylketonuria
Online publication date: 14-Dec-2020
Year of first publication: 2020
Language: english
Abstract: Background Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited metabolic disorder characterized by reduced activity of phenylalanine hydroxylase resulting in elevated blood phenylalanine (Phe) concentration. Despite some obvious ocular changes, the disorder has been poorly recognized by ophthalmologists. Neurophysiologic tests imply prolonged reaction time correlating with increased phenylalanine blood concentrations. We aimed to test saccadic reaction time in PKU patients in dependency of blood phenylalanine concentrations. Methods Nineteen biochemically diagnosed PKU patients and 100 controls completed comprehensive ophthalmologic and orthoptic examinations including saccadometry by infrared based video-oculography. Peak velocity, gain, and particularly latency of reflexive saccades were compared to controls, and regression analysis was performed. Results Latency of reflexive saccades was not associated with the current phenylalanine concentration. Although in 10 out of 19 patients phenylalanine concentrations were outside the age-related therapeutic range, latency differed little between PKU patients and the controls, as well as peak velocity and gain. Ocular findings occurred as partial hypopigmentation of the iris in one late diagnosed patient aged 36 years, and as bilateral cataracts (possibly due to steroid intake) with refractive amblyopia, strabismus, high myopia, and glaucoma in another late diagnosed patient aged 46 years. Visual acuity was reduced in eight PKU patients. Conclusions Saccadometry, particularly saccadic reaction time, is not useful in the monitoring of phenylketonuria. Ophthalmic examination is recommended in PKU patients, as the occurrence of ocular pathologies was relatively high. Keywords: Saccadometry Video-oculography Saccades Phenylketonuria Hyperphenylalaninemia Phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency
DDC: 610 Medizin
610 Medical sciences
Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department: FB 04 Medizin
Place: Mainz
ROR: https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-5485
Version: Published version
Publication type: Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Document type specification: Scientific article
License: CC BY
Information on rights of use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal: Orphanet journal of rare diseases
15
Pages or article number: 124
Publisher: BioMed Central
Publisher place: London
Issue date: 2020
ISSN: 1750-1172
Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-020-01407-7
Publisher DOI: 10.1186/s13023-020-01407-7
Appears in collections:JGU-Publikationen

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