Abstract
Purpose :
While association between two different clinical tests to assess functional loss in glaucoma, visual field [VF] and contrast sensitivity [CS], has been shown in previous studies, their longitudinal association has not been studied. The aim of this study was to assess the association between changes in VF tests and changes in CS tests in glaucomatous eyes over time.
Methods :
Glaucoma patients who underwent a minimum of four Humphrey 24-2 SITA-Standard VFs and four MARS letter CS tests were used in this analysis. Univariate linear regression was used to calculate a slope for change in VF mean deviation (MD), VF pattern standard deviation (PSD), VF foveal threshold (FT), and CS over time for all eyes included in the analysis. Multilevel modeling was used to assess the association between MD, PSD or FT slopes and CS slopes. Models controlled for age, sex, and race.
Results :
67 eyes of 41 patients were included. All eyes were followed for three years. Each patient had 4 CS measurements and a mean of 5 (range: 4-9) VF tests. There was a slow decline in MD (mean slope= -.0010 dB/year; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -.0019 to -.0001), and CS (mean slope= -0.0896 logCS/year; 95% CI= -0.1719 to -0.0073); and slight increase in PSD (mean slope= 0.0007 dB/year; 95% CI= 0.0001 to 0.0013) and no change in FT (0.0003 dB/year; 95% CI= -0.0005 to 0.0012). There was a significant association between FT slope and CS slope (beta=0.0028, P-value=0.02. However, there was no significant association between the MD slope and CS slope (beta=0.0005, P-value=0.46), or PSD slope and CS slope (beta=0.0083, P-value=0.33).
Conclusions :
In this study, changes in VF MD and PSD, which includes measures from both central and peripheral VF points, were not associated with changes in CS. Changes in FT, which includes only central VF points, was associated with CS. Using results from both VF and CS tests may provide clinicians with more complete picture of changes in visual function in glaucomatous eyes as CS.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.