Abstract
Purpose :
To determine whether clinical measures of visual function predict quality of life, measured by the Impact of Vision Impairment (IVI) questionnaire, in individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods :
Participants with early to late AMD were recruited. All participants were otherwise ophthalmologically normal, with the exception of mild lens opacities (≤Grade 2, LOCS III) and had no cognitive impairment by the Mini-Mental State Exam. Study procedures included binocular ETDRS distance visual acuity (VA); Mars Letter contrast sensitivity (CS); reading performance assessed by the International Reading Speed Texts (IReST) charts; MAIA microperimetry (32 location 5° stimulus pattern; size III stimulus; 1.27cdm-2 background); and the IVI questionnaire delivered face-to-face. The associations between the clinical measures of visual function and the Rasch analysed IVI score and IVI subscale scores were determined using stepwise multiple regression, with age as an additional factor.
Results :
Fifty-two participants (36 female), mean age 79.6 years (SD 7.6, range 55-93 years) completed the study. Mean binocular VA; Mean Sensitivity; mean Total and Pattern Deviations (TD and PD); mean number of locations exhibiting a probability level at ≤2% by TD and by PD probability analysis; mean reading speed; and mean CS were 0.2 logMAR (SD 0.2); 19.8dB (6.6); -8.7dB (6.5) and -4.0dB (2.7); 18.9 locations (11.6) and 8.6 locations (6.1); 142 wpm (52); and 1.4 log units (0.2), respectively. Mean IVI scores were not significantly associated with any visual function outcome, with one exception. Reading speed was an independent predictor of IVI (reading and accessing information subscale) score and accounted for 31.7% of the variance (p<0.001). The regression equation was: Predicted IVI (reading) score = 0.02 x reading speed - 1.22.
Conclusions :
Reading speed was the only measure of visual function that was associated with vision-related quality of life score. Longitudinal evaluation should be undertaken to determine whether the remaining conventional and emerging clinical measures can be used as indicators of progressive deterioration in vision-related quality of life.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.