Pilot Study: The Queen Square Screening Test for Visual Deficits in Dementia.

The Queen Square Screening Test for Visual Deficits (QS test) screens for changes in visual processing. Our pilot study aimed to review the applicability of the QS test in individuals with dementia compared with those with normal cognition. Participants with major and minor neurocognitive disorder scored 50/71 (n=12) and 61/71 (n=10) respectively on the QS test, compared to 65/71 for age-matched healthy controls (n=11). The QS test score correlated with cognitive impairment as measured using the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (r = 0.74). The QS test is an affordable and easy bedside screening test for visual processing changes.

Trends in Real-World Neovascular AMD Treatment Outcomes in the UK.

PURPOSE: To report trends in real-world outcomes of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in the United Kingdom (UK) over the last decade. DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: Medline, PubMed, and Embase databases were searched from 9 April 2010 to 8 April 2020 for publications that met the inclusion criteria: treatment-naïve eyes, UK-only data and ≥1 year of follow-up. ICHOM (International Consortium for Health Outcome Measures) outcomes and study quality were assessed. Visual acuity (VA) trends were assessed in studies with ≥100 eyes at baseline. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies (n=25,761 eyes) were included, meeting 14-17 out of 20 Institute of Health Economics Quality Appraisal of Case Series checklist domains. Only ranibizumab and aflibercept outcome data were available. The mean injection number in the first year of treatment was 5.9 in publications from 2010 to 2015 and 7.1 from 2015 to 2020. Average baseline VA and mean one-year, two-year and three-year VA gains gradually improved over the last decade. Longer-term studies reported that the visual gains achieved in the first year of treatment were rarely maintained, with under-treatment a likely contributing factor. CONCLUSION: UK real-world outcomes have improved over the last decade with improved service delivery and the adoption of more proactive treatment regimens but are still not always as impressive as registration clinical trial results. Access to longer-acting anti-VEGF therapies would reduce the treatment burden for patients, carers, and the healthcare system, potentially making replication of clinical trial results possible in the NHS.

A systematic review of real-world evidence of the management of macular oedema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion.

This review assessed the real-world evidence of the management of macular oedema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). A meta-analysis of 2530 eyes from 48 real-world studies of therapies for macular oedema secondary to BRVO was conducted. Baseline characteristics, visual, anatomical and safety outcomes were recorded. The weighted mean and weighted estimates from random-effects models were calculated for visual acuity (VA) and central subfield thickness (CST) changes at 6, 12 and 24 months. Primary outcome was change in VA (logMAR letters) at 12 months. Study quality was assessed using the quality appraisal checklist for case series developed by Institute of Health Economics. The mean baseline VA for the pooled data was 54.0 (51.5, 56.5) letters and the mean baseline CST was 501.3 (483.5, 519.1) µm. The random-effects estimate for mean (95% CI) change in VA was 14.6 (12.5, 16.7) letters at 12 months (n = 1727). The random-effects estimate for mean (95% CI) change in CST was -181.7 (-230.7, -132.7) µm at 12 months (n = 1325). The quality of studies varied considerably. Ocular and systemic adverse events were discussed in 79% and 42% of treatment arms respectively, with possible under-reporting. Visual and anatomical gains achieved in the real-world for anti-VEGF therapy were not as impressive as seminal RCTs, possibly due to reduced injection frequency in the real world and differences in baseline characteristics. There is an urgent need for consensus on the minimum efficacy, treatment burden and safety data to collect to strengthen the real-world evidence base.

Ophthalmic findings in neonates receiving sildenafil.

AIM: To determine the risk of ocular complications of sildenafil therapy in neonates. METHODS: Retrospective case review of neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn who received sildenafil therapy between 2010 and 2015 in a single, tertiary surgical neonatal intensive care unit in Australia. Ophthalmic examination findings in the neonatal intensive care unit and follow-up were examined. RESULTS: Twenty-seven neonates with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn received sildenafil. The median gestational age (GA) was 38 weeks (range 24-41 weeks), and median birthweight was 2690 g (range 454-4270 g). Ophthalmic review was undertaken in 23 neonates, and 16 neonates were term or near-term infants (GA 31-40 weeks). All of them had a normal initial ophthalmic examination; one child was later diagnosed with hypermetropia and another with infantile esotropia. Amongst the seven premature infants (GA 24-30 weeks), three had retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) diagnosed at the first ophthalmic review and the other four had normal initial examinations. Two patients later developed ROP, one of whom was also diagnosed with congenital motor nystagmus. All five patients diagnosed with ROP were extremely preterm (<28 weeks) with low birthweight (454-635 g). CONCLUSIONS: There were no short-term complications attributable to sildenafil therapy identified in term or near-term neonates (GA ≥31 weeks). This cohort of neonates does not typically undergo ophthalmic review as part of the ROP screening protocol in our institution. Routine ophthalmic review of neonates on sildenafil therapy, who are not at risk of ROP, is therefore unlikely to be warranted. Further research is required to clarify the relationship between sildenafil and ROP.

METAANALYSIS OF REAL-WORLD OUTCOMES OF INTRAVITREAL RANIBIZUMAB FOR THE TREATMENT OF NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PURPOSE: To report the efficacy and safety of intravitreal ranibizumab for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in real-world practice. METHODS: Metaanalysis of ∼26,360 patients from 42 real-world observational studies reporting outcomes of intravitreal ranibizumab for nAMD published between 2007 and 2015. Baseline demographics, lesion type, and visual acuity (VA) were recorded. The weighted mean was calculated for change in VA and frequency of injections and visits during year 1, year 2, and ≥3 years. Local and systemic adverse events were recorded. RESULTS: The mean change in VA for patients receiving a treat-and-extend regimen was +8.8 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.8 to 11.8), +6.7 (95% CI: 3.2 to 10.1), and +5.4 (95% CI: -4.1 to 14.9) Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters at 1 year (n = 1,539), 2 years (n = 2,521), and ≥3 years (n = 1,298), in comparison with +3.5 (95% CI: 2.0 to 5.0), +1.3 (95% CI: -1.6 to 4.2), and -1.9 (95% CI: -9.8 to 6.0) ETDRS letters for pro re nata at 1 year (n = 20,247), 2 years (n = 14,408), and ≥3 years (n = 11,714). Treat-and-extend patients received on average more injections (6.9 vs. 4.7) but had fewer visits (7.6 vs. 9.2) in the first year. Baseline characteristics were similar between the regimens. The reported rate of endophthalmitis was 17 of 66,176 intravitreal injections (0.026%). CONCLUSION: Intravitreal ranibizumab for nAMD prevents severe visual loss in real-world practice. Patients can achieve visual gain from baseline, but the extent to which these are maintained in the long term may depend on the frequency of injections.