Replacing the Amsler grid: A new method for monitoring patients with age-related macular degeneration

Anat Loewenstein*, Rafael Malach, Michaela Goldstein, Igal Leibovitch, Adiel Barak, Eli Baruch, Yair Alster, Omer Rafaeli, Isaac Avni, Yuval Yassur

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

102 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate a method that uses hyperacuity, the Macular Computerized Psychophysical Test (MCPT), to evaluate the central macular visual field in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design: Prospective case-control study of a diagnostic test. Participants and Controls: One hundred eight eyes of 108 Patients with AMD and 51 eyes of 51 age matched patients with no retinal disease. Patients with AMD included 32 (30%) patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV), 23 (21%) with geographic atrophy (GA), 35 (32%) with AMD with high-risk characteristics (HRC), and 18 (17%) with early AMD with non-HRC. Testing: Each subject underwent the MCPT, in which a virtual line composed of dots (white dots on a black background, maximal contrast) is flashed across different macular loci to a perifoveal radius of 7°. Patients' responses were recorded and automatically analyzed using a specific algorithm developed before the onset of the study. All patients also underwent a supervised Amsler grid examination on the encounter before or after the MCPT in random order. Main Outcome Measures: Distortion, scotoma, or blurring perceived by the patient after a swift change of fixation was considered positive on the MCPT. Any perception of distortion, scotoma, or blurring was considered positive on the Amsler grid. Results: Of the 32 patients with CNV, 30 (94%) were found positive on the MCPT and 11 (34%) were found positive on the Amsler grid. Of the 23 GA patients, 21 (91%) were found positive on the MCPT and 7 (30%) were found positive on the Amsler grid. Of the 35 HRC patients, 28 (80%) were found positive on the MCPT and 3 (9%) were found positive on the Amsler grid, and of the 18 early AMD with non-HRC patients, 8 (44%) were found positive on the MCPT and 3 (17%) were found positive on the Amsler grid. Of the 51 controls, 3 (6%) were positive on the MCPT and 1 (2%) was positive on the Amsler grid. Conclusions: The MCPT was superior to the Amsler grid in detecting AMD-related lesions in this cohort. Studies are underway to determine whether the MCPT is feasible for home monitoring to provide early detection of progression to CNV.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)966-970
Number of pages5
JournalOphthalmology
Volume110
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2003
Externally publishedYes

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