Clinical School (Royal Melbourne Hospital) - Research Publications

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    A Tablet-Based Retinal Function Test in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Eyes and At-Risk Fellow Eye
    Ho, CYD ; Wu, Z ; Turpin, A ; Lawson, DJ ; Luu, CD ; McKendrick, AM ; Guymer, RH (ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC, 2018-03)
    PURPOSE: To determine the feasibility of a tablet-based application to detect changes in retinal sensitivity and correlations with underlying pathology in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) eyes undergoing treatment and in at-risk fellow eyes. METHOD: Participants with nAMD in at least one eye were recruited, examined, and imaged using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Retinal sensitivity was measured within the central 5° at 12 locations using a customized test delivered on an iPad. Test points were superimposed on SD-OCT locations to investigate structure/function relationships. RESULTS: Included in the study were 53 nAMD eyes and 21 at-risk fellow eyes. In nAMD eyes, the mean retinal sensitivity was 24.1 ± 1.8 dB with reduced retinal sensitivity associated with the presence of atrophy (P < 0.01), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) disruption (P < 0.01), and absent ellipsoid zone (EZ) (P < 0.01), but not with the presence of subretinal fluid (P = 0.94) nor intraretinal fluid (P = 0.52). In at-risk eyes, the average retinal sensitivity was 28.8 ± 0.6 dB, with reduced sensitivity significantly associated with the presence of drusen, atrophy, RPE disruption, and absent EZ (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The tablet-based test of retinal sensitivity was able to be performed by an elderly cohort with nAMD. The ability to correlate differences in sensitivity with pathology is encouraging when considering using the tablet devices as a home monitoring tool with remote surveillance. Dual pathology often present with retinal fluid confounded our ability to correlate fluid with sensitivity. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: These findings highlight the potential of tablet-based devices in performing visual function measures as a home monitoring tool with remote surveillance for the earlier detection of nAMD.
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    Quantitative Analysis of the Ellipsoid Zone Intensity in Phenotypic Variations of Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration
    Gin, TJ ; Wu, Z ; Chew, SKH ; Guymer, RH ; Luu, CD (ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC, 2017-04)
    PURPOSE: Reduction of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) intensity has been reported in eyes with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This study determined whether overall EZ intensity, in retinal locations undisturbed by pathologic features, is associated with the presence of clinical features, which are known important phenotypic risk factors for disease progression, large drusen, reticular pseudodrusen (RPD), and pigmentary abnormalities. METHODS: A horizontal B-scan through the foveola on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was performed in both eyes of 75 participants with bilateral intermediate AMD and 10 age-similar control participants. Eyes with AMD were classified as per the presence of large drusen, RPD, and hyperpigmentary changes. The relative EZ intensity profile, up to an eccentricity of 3400 μm, was averaged over seven 1000-μm retinal segments. The association between relative EZ intensity profile over seven retinal segments and AMD pathologic features was analyzed. RESULTS: The average relative EZ intensities were significantly reduced in eyes with intermediate AMD compared to normal eyes (P ≤ 0.025) and with increasing age (P ≤ 0.020). On multivariate analyses, only the presence of hyperpigmentary changes and increasing age were significantly associated with reduced overall relative intensities (P ≤ 0.024), but not the presence of large drusen or RPD (P ≥ 0.115). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of hyperpigmentary change in the macula in association with large drusen, not large drusen alone, nor large drusen with RPD, was significantly associated with a generalised reduction in EZ intensity. Quantitative assessment of the relative EZ intensity may serve as an effective biomarker of disease severity and progression.