Detecting Diabetic Retinal Neuropathy Using Fundus Perimetry.

Fundus perimetry is a new technique for evaluating the light sense in the retina in a point-to-point manner. Light sense is fundamentally different from visual acuity, which measures the threshold for discriminating and perceiving two points or lines, called the minimum cognoscible. The quality of measurement of retinal sensitivity has dramatically increased in the last decade, and the use of fundus perimetry is now gaining popularity. The latest model of fundus perimetry, MP-3, can be used for a wide range of measurements and has an advanced eye tracking system. High background illumination enables accurate measurement of mesopic retail sensitivity. Recent investigations have shown that neuronal damage precedes vascular abnormalities in diabetic retinopathy. The loss of retinal function has also been reported prior to morphological changes in the retina. In this review, the importance of measuring retinal sensitivity to evaluate visual function in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy was discussed. The usefulness of retinal sensitivity as an outcome measure in clinical trials for treatment modalities is also presented. The importance of fundus perimetry is promising and should be considered by both diabetes researchers and clinical ophthalmologists.

Predicting eyes at risk for rapid glaucoma progression based on an initial visual field test using machine learning.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether machine learning algorithms (MLA) can predict eyes that will undergo rapid glaucoma progression based on an initial visual field (VF) test. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of longitudinal data. SUBJECTS: 175,786 VFs (22,925 initial VFs) from 14,217 patients who completed ≥5 reliable VFs at academic glaucoma centers were included. METHODS: Summary measures and reliability metrics from the initial VF and age were used to train MLA designed to predict the likelihood of rapid progression. Additionally, the neural network model was trained with point-wise threshold data in addition to summary measures, reliability metrics and age. 80% of eyes were used for a training set and 20% were used as a test set. MLA test set performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC). Performance of models trained on initial VF data alone was compared to performance of models trained on data from the first two VFs. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Accuracy in predicting future rapid progression defined as MD worsening more than 1 dB/year. RESULTS: 1,968 eyes (8.6%) underwent rapid progression. The support vector machine model (AUC 0.72 [95% CI 0.70-0.75]) most accurately predicted rapid progression when trained on initial VF data. Artificial neural network, random forest, logistic regression and naïve Bayes classifiers produced AUC of 0.72, 0.70, 0.69, 0.68 respectively. Models trained on data from the first two VFs performed no better than top models trained on the initial VF alone. Based on the odds ratio (OR) from logistic regression and variable importance plots from the random forest model, older age (OR: 1.41 per 10 year increment [95% CI: 1.34 to 1.08]) and higher pattern standard deviation (OR: 1.31 per 5-dB increment [95% CI: 1.18 to 1.46]) were the variables in the initial VF most strongly associated with rapid progression. CONCLUSIONS: MLA can be used to predict eyes at risk for rapid progression with modest accuracy based on an initial VF test. Incorporating additional clinical data to the current model may offer opportunities to predict patients most likely to rapidly progress with even greater accuracy.

A traffic perimetry test that adheres to the European visual field requirements.

PURPOSE: European visual requirements for driving generally follow the standards of the European Union (EU), but the lack of a uniform perimetry algorithm leads to differing practices in enforcing visual field regulations. The purpose of this study was to develop a perimetry algorithm for group 1 driving licenses (car and motorcycle) that adheres to the European requirements. METHODS: We determined the features of a traffic perimetry algorithm complying with the EU directive 2009/113/EC and the underlying scientific report by the Eyesight Working Group. The final algorithm was a binocular, supra-threshold test with 37 central and 86 peripheral test points within 140º x 40º. It was created as a custom test for an Octopus 900 perimeter and tested on participants with known visual field defects. Findings were compared with the Esterman program in reference to British and Norwegian regulations, which both recommend the Esterman program for assessing fitness to drive but differ in definition of negative and positive results. RESULTS: Twenty-five participants were examined. In comparison with the traffic perimetry algorithm, sensitivity and specificity of the British regulations were 0.78 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40-0.97) and 1.00 (95% CI 0.79-1.00). Similarly, sensitivity and specificity of the Norwegian regulations were 0.89 (95% CI 0.52-1.00) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.54-0.96). CONCLUSION: The lack of a perimetry algorithm that conforms to the scientific recommendations challenges the fundamental right of European drivers for legal equality. This study demonstrates a binocular supra-threshold test that adheres to the European visual field requirements for group 1 driving licenses.

A Strategy for Seeding Point Error Assessment for Retesting (SPEAR) in Perimetry Applied to Normal Subjects, Glaucoma Suspects, and Patients With Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: We sought to determine the impact of seeding point errors (SPEs) as a source of low test reliability in perimetry and to develop a strategy to mitigate this error early in the test. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Visual field test results from 1 eye of 364 patients (77 normal eyes, 178 glaucoma suspect eyes, and 109 glaucoma eyes) were used to develop models for identifying SPE. Two test cohorts (326 undertaking Swedish interactive thresholding algorithm [SITA]-Faster and 327 glaucoma eyes undertaking SITA-Standard) were used to prospectively evaluate the models for identifying SPEs. Global visual field metrics were compared among reliable and unreliable results. Regression models were used to identify factors distinguishing SPEs from non-SPEs. Models were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: In the test cohorts, SITA-Faster produced a higher rate of unreliable visual field results (30%-49.7%) compared with SITA-Standard (10.8%-16.6%). SPEs contributed to most of the unreliable results in SITA-Faster (57.5%-64.9%) compared with gaze tracker deviations accounting for most of the unreliable results in SITA-Standard (40%-77.8%). In SITA-Faster, results with SPEs had worse global indices and more clusters of sensitivity reduction than reliable results. Our best model (using 9 test locations) can identify SPEs with an area under the ROC curve of 0.89. CONCLUSION: SPEs contribute to a large proportion of unreliable visual field test results, particularly when using SITA-Faster. We propose a useful model for identifying SPEs early in the test that can then guide retesting using both SITA algorithms. We provide a simplified framework for the perimetrist to improve the overall fidelity of the test result.

Vision to improve: quality improvement in ophthalmology.

Improving quality of care and patient outcomes is a professional duty of all health care workers. Quality improvement is a part of health policy, an accreditation requirement of residency programs, and a recognized sub-specialty in academic medicine. Given the increasing need for ophthalmological services with our aging population, it is critical for ophthalmologists and their staff to develop the necessary skills in quality improvement to ensure access to care that is safe, patient-centered, effective, efficient, equitable, and timely. This narrative review outlines tools that are used in a recognized framework, including the creation of an aim statement, Ishikawa diagram, Pareto analysis, process maps, Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, and run charts. We also discuss common challenges that occur when conducting quality initiatives. Two quality improvement projects conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology at University of Toronto are used as examples to illustrate these tools. The aim of the first project was to improve visual field test reliability and the aim of the second was to ensure secure email communication between residents and staff in caring for emergency patients. This primer provides the foundations ophthalmologists and their staff can use to support and guide their quality improvement efforts.

Comparison of Short- And Long-Term Variability in Standard Perimetry and Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography in Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To assess short- and long-term variability on standard automated perimetry (SAP) and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in glaucoma. DESIGN: Prospective cohort. METHODS: Ordinary least squares linear regression of SAP mean deviation (MD) and SD-OCT global retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness were fitted over time for sequential tests conducted within 5 weeks (short-term testing) and annually (long-term testing). Residuals were obtained by subtracting the predicted and observed values, and each patient's standard deviation (SD) of the residuals was used as a measure of variability. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to test the hypothesis of equality between short- and long-term variability. RESULTS: A total of 43 eyes of 43 glaucoma subjects were included. Subjects had a mean 4.5 ± 0.8 SAP and OCT tests for short-term variability assessment. For long-term variability, the same number of tests were performed and results annually collected over an average of 4.0 ± 0.8 years. The average SD of the residuals was significantly higher in the long-term than in the short-term period for both tests: 1.05 ± 0.70 dB vs. 0.61 ± 0.34 dB, respectively (P < 0.001) for SAP MD and 1.95 ± 1.86 µm vs. 0.81 ± 0.56 µm, respectively (P < 0.001) for SD-OCT RNFL thickness. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term variability was higher than short-term variability on SD-OCT and SAP. Because current event-based algorithms for detection of glaucoma progression on SAP and SD-OCT have relied on short-term variability data to establish their normative databases, these algorithms may be underestimating the variability in the long-term and thus may overestimate progression over time.

Overuse and Underuse of Visual Field Testing Over 15 Years.

PRéCIS:: A 15-year analysis of 198,843 visual field (VF) tests revealed a growing trend for their performance for nonglaucoma indications. Adherence to glaucoma management guidelines was suboptimal. Guidelines for referral to VF assessments should be established. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify trends in VF assessments over 15 years among patients with and without suspected or confirmed glaucoma, in a large healthcare maintenance organization. METHODS: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study, conducted by means of electronic medical database analyses. STUDY POPULATION: Maccabi Healthcare Services is an healthcare maintenance organization that insures 2 million members constituting 25% of the population. All members who underwent at least 1 VF test between January 2000 and December 2014 were included. In addition, all members with glaucoma or suspected glaucoma diagnosis or who were prescribed with antiglaucoma medications were evaluated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: VF performance rates. RESULTS: A total of 93,617 Maccabi Healthcare Services members underwent 198,843 VF tests; of whom 47.9% involved patients without any glaucoma-related conditions. There was a growing trend over time toward more of those members to undergo VF tests and, by 2014, non-glaucoma-related members comprised 74.0% of new VF assessments. In contrast, 32.3% of glaucoma-related patients did not perform even 1 VF test throughout the entire study period. Although over 2 years (25.95±6.33 mo) passed between the first glaucoma-related diagnosis and first VF test, once a patient underwent the first VF test, an average once-a-year VF follow-up (0.95±0.37 annual tests) began. CONCLUSION: There is a growing trend for VF tests being apparently overused for indications other than glaucoma. Concurrently, adherence to glaucoma management guidelines on VF tests is suboptimal, leading to discernible underuse. Guidelines for VF assessments in nonglaucoma patients should be established. Adherence to existing glaucoma management guidelines should be improved.

The Association Between Visual Field Reliability Indices and Cognitive Impairment in Glaucoma Patients.

PRECIS: This prospective cross-sectional study found that patients with cognitive impairment (CI) are more likely to produce unreliable visual field (VF) tests, especially with higher false-negative (FN) responses and consequent overestimation of mean deviation (MD). AIM: Aging-associated CI can impair the ability of individuals to perform a VF test and compromise the reliability of the results. We evaluated the association between neurocognitive impairment and VF reliability indices in glaucoma patients. METHODS: This prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted in the Ophthalmology Department, Hospital Kuala Pilah, Malaysia, and included 113 eyes of 60 glaucoma patients with no prior diagnosis of dementia. Patients were monitored with the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer using a 30-2 SITA, standard protocol, and CI was assessed using the clock drawing test (CDT). The relationships between the CDT score, MD, pattern standard deviation, Visual Field Index (VFI), fixation loss (FL), false-positive values, and FN values were analyzed using the ordinal regression model. RESULTS: Glaucoma patients older than 65 years had a higher prevalence of CI. There was a statistically significant correlation between CDT scores and glaucoma severity, FL, FN, and VFI values (rs=-0.20, P=0.03; rs=-0.20, P=0.04; rs=-0.28, P=0.003; rs=0.21, P=0.03, respectively). In a multivariate model adjusted for age and glaucoma severity, patients with lower FN were significantly less likely to have CI (odds ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.93) and patients with higher MD were more likely to have CI (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.16); false positive, FL, pattern standard deviation, and VFI showed no significant correlation. CONCLUSION: Cognitive decline is associated with reduced VF reliability, especially with higher FN rate and overestimated MD. Screening and monitoring of CI may be important in the assessment of VF progression in glaucoma patients.

Retest Reliability of Mesopic and Dark-Adapted Microperimetry in Patients With Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Age-Matched Controls.

Purpose: To determine the intrasession test-retest reliability of mesopic and dark-adapted fundus-controlled perimetry in patients with intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 23 iAMD patients (67.3 ± 8.2 years; range, 50-85; 78% female) and 24 healthy controls (61.3 ± 5.2 years; range, 50-71; 50% female) using a modified MAIA microperimeter. All patients underwent duplicate mesopic (achromatic stimuli, 400-800 nm) and dark-adapted (red stimuli, 627 nm) microperimetry, using a grid of 33 stimuli over 14° of the central retina. Main outcome measure was the intrasession test-retest reliability for pointwise sensitivity (PWS). Results: PWS test-retest reliability was good among mesopic and dark-adapted testing in both patients and controls (coefficient of repeatability of 4.4, 4.52, 3.96, and 4.56 dB, respectively). Mean mesopic sensitivity in patients was 2.62 dB lower than in controls (P < 0.01); mean dark-adapted sensitivity was 2.49 dB lower than in controls (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The modified MAIA device allows for reliable mesopic and dark-adapted microperimetry in iAMD patients. We found that iAMD is associated with both reduced mesopic and dark-adapted retinal sensitivity.

Visual Field Outcome Reporting in Neurosurgery: Lessons Learned from a Prospective, Multicenter Study of Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Visual field (VF) outcomes are commonly reported in neurosurgical case series; however, substantial variability can exist in VF testing and outcome reporting. We aimed to evaluate the challenges of VF testing and to develop detailed recommendations for VF outcome reporting by analyzing results from an ongoing, multicenter study of transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. METHODS: VF testing results were collected during a prospective, multicenter clinical trial evaluating patient outcomes after transsphenoidal surgery for nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas (TRANSSPHER). Two independent ophthalmologists reviewed reliability and outcomes of all VF studies. Preoperative and postoperative VF studies were evaluated individually and as preoperative/postoperative pairs. RESULTS: Suboptimal perimetry field settings were reported in 37% of VF studies. Automated reliability criteria flagged 25%-29% of VF studies as unreliable, whereas evaluation by 2 independent ophthalmologists flagged 16%-28%. Agreement between automated criteria and raters for VF reliability was inconsistent (κ coefficients = 0.55-0.83), whereas agreement between the 2 raters was substantial to almost perfect (κ coefficients = 0.78-0.83). Most patients demonstrated improvement after surgery (rater 1, 67%; rater 2, 60%), with substantial rater agreement on outcomes for paired examinations (κ coefficient = 0.62). CONCLUSIONS: VF outcome studies demonstrated significant variability of test parameters and patient performance. Perimetry field settings varied among patients and for some patients varied preoperatively versus postoperatively. Reliance on automated criteria alone could not substitute for independent ophthalmologist review of test reliability. Standardized guidelines for VF data collection and reporting could increase reliability of results and allow better comparisons of outcomes in future studies.

Visual Field Tests for Glaucoma Patients With Initial Macular Damage: Comparison Between Frequency-doubling Technology and Standard Automated Perimetry Using 24-2 or 10-2 Visual Fields.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare standard automated perimetry (SAP) and frequency-doubling technology (FDT) perimetry for detecting macular damage in glaucoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 112 glaucomatous eyes with localized retinal nerve fiber layer defects on red-free photographs and corresponding macular ganglion cell/inner plexiform layer (mGC/IPL) thinning on the deviation map of macular optical coherence tomography, and 35 healthy eyes were enrolled in the study. All participants underwent SAP 24-2, SAP 10-2, FDT 24-2, and FDT 10-2 visual field (VF) tests. Significantly depressed points, with confidence limits of 5% and 1%, were checked for in the pattern deviation plots of the VF tests. Detection rate of the macular damage, sensitivity, and specificity were compared among various VF tests. Patients were divided into eyes with mGC/IPL thinning within the normative database, depressed <5% or <1%. Comparison of VF parameters between various VF tests were performed according to the degree of mGC/IPL thinning. RESULTS: All of the macular damage in glaucoma were detected using FDT 10-2 and 83.3% to 90.0% were detected using FDT 24-2 when the mGC/IPL thickness was <5%. Even when mGC/IPL thickness was within normal range, the detection rate of macular damage were 96% for FDT 10-2 and 80% for FDT 24-2. FDT 10-2 had the best diagnostic ability (areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve, 0.96) followed by FDT 24-2 (areas under the receiver operating characteristics curve, 0.76) for discriminating normal controls from glaucoma patients with macular damage. Comparing 10-2 and 24-2 tests with same strategy showed that FDT 10-2 was more sensitive than FDT 24-2 (P=0.004), with better specificity (P=0.010). Also, SAP 24-2 had similar specificity with SAP 10-2 (P=0.373), which was better than FDT 24-2 (P=0.016). The mean deviation of SAP 10-2 and the pattern standard deviation of SAP 10-2 were significantly related to mGC/IPL thickness. CONCLUSIONS: We found the detection rate of functional depression related to early macular damage were significant using FDT and parameters of SAP significantly predicted the degree of mGC/IPL thinning in glaucoma patients.

Optimising the glaucoma signal/noise ratio by mapping changes in spatial summation with area-modulated perimetric stimuli.

Identification of glaucomatous damage and progression by perimetry are limited by measurement and response variability. This study tested the hypothesis that the glaucoma damage signal/noise ratio is greater with stimuli varying in area, either solely, or simultaneously with contrast, than with conventional stimuli varying in contrast only (Goldmann III, GIII). Thirty glaucoma patients and 20 age-similar healthy controls were tested with the Method of Constant Stimuli (MOCS). One stimulus modulated in area (A), one modulated in contrast within Ricco's area (CR), one modulated in both area and contrast simultaneously (AC), and the reference stimulus was a GIII, modulating in contrast. Stimuli were presented on a common platform with a common scale (energy). A three-stage protocol minimised artefactual MOCS slope bias that can occur due to differences in psychometric function sampling between conditions. Threshold difference from age-matched normal (total deviation), response variability, and signal/noise ratio were compared between stimuli. Total deviation was greater with, and response variability less dependent on defect depth with A, AC, and CR stimuli, compared with GIII. Both A and AC stimuli showed a significantly greater signal/noise ratio than the GIII, indicating that area-modulated stimuli offer benefits over the GIII for identifying early glaucoma and measuring progression.

Combining optical coherence tomography with visual field data to rapidly detect disease progression in glaucoma: a diagnostic accuracy study.

BACKGROUND: Progressive optic nerve damage in glaucoma results in vision loss, quantifiable with visual field (VF) testing. VF measurements are, however, highly variable, making identification of worsening vision ('progression') challenging. Glaucomatous optic nerve damage can also be measured with imaging techniques such as optical coherence tomography (OCT). OBJECTIVE: To compare statistical methods that combine VF and OCT data with VF-only methods to establish whether or not these allow (1) more rapid identification of glaucoma progression and (2) shorter or smaller clinical trials. DESIGN: Method 'hit rate' (related to sensitivity) was evaluated in subsets of the United Kingdom Glaucoma Treatment Study (UKGTS) and specificity was evaluated in 72 stable glaucoma patients who had 11 VF and OCT tests within 3 months (the RAPID data set). The reference progression detection method was based on Guided Progression Analysis™ (GPA) Software (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, CA, USA). Index methods were based on previously described approaches [Analysis with Non-Stationary Weibull Error Regression and Spatial enhancement (ANSWERS), Permutation analyses Of Pointwise Linear Regression (PoPLR) and structure-guided ANSWERS (sANSWERS)] or newly developed methods based on Permutation Test (PERM), multivariate hierarchical models with multiple imputation for censored values (MaHMIC) and multivariate generalised estimating equations with multiple imputation for censored values (MaGIC). SETTING: Ten university and general ophthalmology units (UKGTS) and a single university ophthalmology unit (RAPID). PARTICIPANTS: UKGTS participants were newly diagnosed glaucoma patients randomised to intraocular pressure-lowering drops or placebo. RAPID participants had glaucomatous VF loss, were on treatment and were clinically stable. INTERVENTIONS: 24-2 VF tests with the Humphrey Field Analyzer and optic nerve imaging with time-domain (TD) Stratus OCT™ (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, CA, USA). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Criterion hit rate and specificity, time to progression, future VF prediction error, proportion progressing in UKGTS treatment groups, hazard ratios (HRs) and study sample size. RESULTS: Criterion specificity was 95% for all tests; the hit rate was 22.2% for GPA, 41.6% for PoPLR, 53.8% for ANSWERS and 61.3% for sANSWERS (all comparisons p ≤ 0.042). Mean survival time (weeks) was 93.6 for GPA, 82.5 for PoPLR, 72.0 for ANSWERS and 69.1 for sANSWERS. The median prediction errors (decibels) when the initial trend was used to predict the final VF were 3.8 (5th to 95th percentile 1.7 to 7.6) for PoPLR, 3.0 (5th to 95th percentile 1.5 to 5.7) for ANSWERS and 2.3 (5th to 95th percentile 1.3 to 4.5) for sANSWERS. HRs were 0.57 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34 to 0.90; p = 0.016] for GPA, 0.59 (95% CI 0.42 to 0.83; p = 0.002) for PoPLR, 0.76 (95% CI 0.56 to 1.02; p = 0.065) for ANSWERS and 0.70 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.93; p = 0.012) for sANSWERS. Sample size estimates were not reduced using methods including OCT data. PERM hit rates were between 8.3% and 17.4%. Treatment effects were non-significant in MaHMIC and MaGIC analyses; statistical significance was altered little by incorporating imaging. LIMITATIONS: TD OCT is less precise than current imaging technology; current OCT technology would likely perform better. The size of the RAPID data set limited the precision of criterion specificity estimates. CONCLUSIONS: The sANSWERS method combining VF and OCT data had a higher hit rate and identified progression more quickly than the reference and other VF-only methods, and produced more accurate estimates of the progression rate, but did not increase treatment effect statistical significance. Similar studies with current OCT technology need to be undertaken and the statistical methods need refinement. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN96423140. FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 22, No. 4. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information. Data analysed in the study were from the UKGTS. Funding for the UKGTS was provided through an unrestricted investigator-initiated research grant from Pfizer Inc. (New York, NY, USA), with supplementary funding from the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK. Imaging equipment loans were made by Heidelberg Engineering, Carl Zeiss Meditec and Optovue (Fremont, CA, USA). Pfizer, Heidelberg Engineering, Carl Zeiss Meditec and Optovue had no input into the design, conduct, analysis or reporting of any of the UKGTS findings or this work. The sponsor for both the UKGTS and RAPID data collection was Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. David F Garway-Heath, Tuan-Anh Ho and Haogang Zhu are partly funded by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre based at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology. David F Garway-Heath's chair at University College London (UCL) is supported by funding from the International Glaucoma Association.

Impact of Different Visual Field Instruction Strategies on Reliability Indices.

PURPOSE: To investigate and compare the visual field performance following three different types of visual field instruction strategies. METHOD: Ninety consecutive visual field-naïve glaucoma patients who can perform the test and understand instructions were imparted three forms of instructions prior to the visual field test. Patients with visual acuity <20/200, central corneal opacities, or anterior segment pathology and patients unable to understand general instructions/uncooperative were excluded. All forms of instructions were given by a trained optometrist in the patients' own language as an instruction leaflet read out in 5 min for a verbal group (group1) and by a 5 min video created in house (group 2). Group 3 patients were shown the video first, followed by verbal instructions. We evaluated the reliability parameters in each group after visual field testing by an independent optometrist blinded to the form of instruction given. RESULTS: Among the three groups, group 3 patients had the least number of repeat tests. Eyes with MD<-12Db had better reliability than that of the other groups. Mixed-model linear regression analysis shows that the duration of the test was significantly influenced by the severity of glaucoma in group 1, which is further predisposed by false negatives (FN; ß = 0.06, p < 0.0001, R2 61.7%). CONCLUSION: The video with verbal instruction can minimize the number of repeated tests compared with only verbal or only video instruction medium. The video as well as the combined video/verbal instructions have a practical influence of obtaining more reliable fields compared with only verbal instruction.

Evaluating the Usefulness of MP-3 Microperimetry in Glaucoma Patients.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the test-retest reproducibility and structure-function relationship of the MP-3 microperimeter, compared against the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA). METHODS: Design: Reliability and validity study. SETTING: Institutional, or clinical practice. STUDY POPULATION: Thirty eyes of 30 primary open-angle glaucoma patients were enrolled. OBSERVATION PROCEDURES: Visual fields (VF) were measured twice with the MP-3 and HFA instruments, using the 10-2 test grid pattern in both perimeters. Ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness was measured using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Test-retest reproducibility was assessed using the mean absolute deviation (MAD) measure at all 68 VF test points, and also the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the repeated VF sensitivities. The structure-function relationship between VF sensitivities (measured with MP-3 or HFA) and GCC thickness (adjusted for the retinal ganglion cell displacement) was analyzed using linear mixed modeling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Reproducibility and structure-function relationship. RESULTS: The average measurement duration with the HFA 10-2 was 7 minutes and 6 seconds (7m06s) ± 0m49s (mean ± standard deviation). A significantly (P < .001, paired Wilcoxon test) longer measurement duration was observed for the MP-3 test: 10m29s ± 2m55s. There were no significant differences in MAD and ICC values between HFA (MAD; 0.83 ± 0.69 dB and ICC: 0.89 ± 0.69, mean ± standard deviation) and MP-3 (MAD: 0.65 ± 0.67 dB and ICC: 0.89 ± 0.69). MP-3 VF sensitivities had a stronger structure-function relationship with GCC thickness compared to HFA. CONCLUSIONS: The MP-3 microperimeter has a similar test-retest reproducibility to the HFA but a better structure-function relationship.

The use of microperimetry in assessing visual function in age-related macular degeneration.

Microperimetry is a novel technique for assessing visual function that appears particularly suitable for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Compared with standard automated perimetry, microperimetry offers several unique features. It simultaneously images the fundus, incorporates an eye-tracking system to correct the stimulus location for fixation loss, and identifies any preferred retinal loci. We identified 52 articles that met the inclusion criteria for a systematic review of microperimetry in the assessment of visual function in AMD. We discuss microperimetry and AMD in relation to disease severity, structural imaging outcomes, other measures of visual function, and evaluation of the efficacy of surgical and/or medical therapies in clinical trials. The evidence for the use of microperimetry in the functional assessment of AMD is encouraging. Disruptions of the ellipsoid zone band and retinal pigment epithelium are clearly associated with reduced differential light sensitivity despite the maintenance of good visual acuity. Reduced differential light sensitivity is also associated with outer segment thinning and retinal pigment epithelium thickening in early AMD and with both a thickening and a thinning of the whole retina in choroidal neovascularization. Microperimetry, however, lacks the robust diffuse and focal loss age-corrected probability analyses associated with standard automated perimetry, and the technique is currently limited by this omission.

Reliability of kinetic visual field testing in children with mutation-proven retinal dystrophies: Implications for therapeutic clinical trials.

PURPOSE: Kinetic visual field testing is used to monitor disease course in retinal dystrophy clinical care and treatment response in treatment trials, which are increasingly recruiting children. This study investigates Goldmann visual field (GVF) changes in young children with mutation-proven retinal dystrophies as they age and with progression of the retinal degeneration. METHODS: Retrospective review of children ≤ 17 years old with a mutation-proven retinal dystrophy. Objective clinical disease activity was assessed by a retinal degeneration specialist masked to GVF results. Digital quantification of GVF area was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-nine children (58 eyes), ages 5-16, were identified. GVF area increased with age despite progression in 20 children and clinical stability in nine children. Mean ± standard error increase in GVF area/year was 333 ± 130 mm2 (I4e, p = 0.012), 720 ± 155 mm2 (III4e, p < 0.001), and 759 ± 167 mm2 (IV4e, p < 0.001), with greater increases at earlier ages. Repeatability coefficients were 7381 mm2 (I4e), 9379 mm2 (III4e), and 10346 mm2 (IV4e), indicating a large variability. At 2.5 years after the baseline GVF the area increased ≥ 20%, the criterion for positive treatment outcome defined in recent published therapeutic trials, in 38% (I4e), 34% (III4e), and 33% (IV4e) of eyes. CONCLUSION: In a substantial proportion of children with mutation-proven retinal dystrophies, there is a significant increase in GVF area with age, particularly those < 12 years, despite progression or stability of disease. These findings suggest that change in GVF area in children with retinal dystrophies can be an unreliable measure of response to treatment and on which to base appropriate counseling about visual impairment.

Evidence-based Criteria for Assessment of Visual Field Reliability.

PURPOSE: Assess the impact of false-positives (FP), false-negatives (FN), fixation losses (FL), and test duration (TD) on visual field (VF) reliability at different stages of glaucoma severity. DESIGN: Retrospective. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 10 262 VFs from 1538 eyes of 909 subjects with suspect or manifest glaucoma and ≥5 VF examinations. METHODS: Predicted mean deviation (MD) was calculated with multilevel modeling of longitudinal data. Differences between predicted and observed MD (ΔMD) were calculated as a reliability measure. The impact of FP, FN, FL, and TD on ΔMD was assessed using multilevel modeling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ΔMD associated with a 10% increment in FP, FN, and FL, or a 1-minute increase in TD. RESULTS: FL had little impact on ΔMD (<0.2 decibels [dB] per 10% abnormal catch trials), and no level of FL produced ≥1 dB of ΔMD at any disease stage. FP yielded greater than expected MD, with a 10% increment in abnormal catch trials associated with a ΔMD = 0.42, 0.73, and 0.66 dB in mild (MD >-6 dB), moderate (-6 ≤MD <-12 dB), and severe (-12 ≤MD ≤-20 dB) disease, respectively, up to 20% abnormal catch trials, and a ΔMD = 1.57, 2.06, and 3.53 dB beyond 20% abnormal catch trials. FNs generally produced observed MDs below expected MDs. FN were minimally impactful up to 20% abnormal catch trials (ΔMD per 10% increment >-0.14 dB at all levels of severity). Beyond 20% abnormal catch trials, each 10% increment in abnormal catch trials was associated with a ΔMD = -1.27, -0.53, and -0.51 dB in mild, moderate, and severe disease, respectively. |ΔMD| ≥1 dB occurred with 22% FP and 26% FN in early, 14% FP and 34% FN in moderate, and 16% FP and 51% FN in severe disease. A 1-minute increment in TD produced ΔMDs between -0.35 and -0.40 dB. CONCLUSIONS: FL have little impact on reliability in patients with established glaucoma. FP, and to a lesser extent FNs and TD, significantly affect reliability. The impact of FP and FN varies with disease severity and over the range of abnormal catch trials. On the basis of our findings, we present evidence-based, severity-specific standards for classifying VF reliability for clinical or research applications.