Abstract
Purpose :
To correlate the presence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) associated geographic atrophy (GA) and reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) with results of the night/dim light vision function captured on a night vision questionnaire (NVQ-10).
Methods :
In a cross-sectional study of participants of the Age-Related Eye Diseases Study 2, AMD status was documented at the 5-year close-out study on ultrawide-field images divided into 3 zones: posterior pole (zone 1), peripheral (zone 2), and far periphery (zone 3). Zones 1 and 2 were divided into 4 quadrants: superonasal (SN), superotemporal (ST), inferonasal (IN), and inferotemporal (IT). Zone 3 was divided into superior and inferior. The reading center (Queens’ University, Belfast) graded for presence of GA and RPD. The NVQ was administered. Specifically, the questions regarding driving at night and visual function in dim light/night were analyzed. Association between the presence of GA and RPD (analyzed separately) and two composite variables for driving and night/dim light vision were assessed using frequency tables and chi-square/Fisher’s exact P-values.
Results :
889 eyes (450 participants) (mean age 72.5±8.1, female 58%) were analyzed. Comparing eyes with/without GA or RPD, statistically significant differences (P=<.001 to .01) for % with difficulty in night/dim light vision were found for zone 1. In zones 2 and 3, higher differences were seen in the temporal regions with GA but not RPD. Comparing eyes with or without GA, significant differences were found for the % with moderate/extreme difficulty driving for zone 1 and the inferior regions of zone 2 (P=<.001 to .01). No significant association was found between the presence of RPD in any zone and driving difficulty. Visual acuity was significantly lower for persons with low luminance difficulty and for eyes with GA in zone 1 (P<.0001).
Conclusions :
Interestingly, the association was strongest with the GA or RPD located in the posterior pole or zone 1. This may be explained by rod distribution in the retina tend to be the highest around the paracentral area, located in zone 1. Despite having lesions in the more peripheral fields (zones 2 and 3), there is less of an impact on the function in dim light or at night. This provides further data to suggest the importance of patient reported outcome in our studies of disease progression/intervention.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.