Central Visual Field Research Articles

Changes in visual function associated with hydroxychloroquine retinal toxicity

AbstractIntroduction: Non‐infectious inflammatory diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome and others cause significant morbidity and are treated with immunosuppression. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) sulfate is used as a second line immunosuppressant and has many advantages over other agents. These include increased life expectancy, reduced risk of neoplasia, reduced risk of diabetes and hypercholesterolaemia. HCQ is safe in pregnancy. After more than 5 years of treatment, HCQ can cause a degenerative maculopathy characterized by loss of parafoveal photoreceptors and RPE cells, leading to a ring‐like visual field defect. Current detection of early retinal toxicity relies on central visual field testing, optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan and fundus autofluorescence. The reason for the parafoveal predilection for retinopathy is not understood. HCQ is concentrated in melanin‐containing cells, and there is increased melanin concentration in the macular RPE cells. A hypothesis is that HCQ concentrated in the macular RPE cells leads to toxicity, with macular pigment protecting the fovea but leaving a ring of potentially vulnerable tissue in the parafoveal region. We were interested to investigate parafoveal function in patients with mild HCQ maculopathy and report the results of detailed macular function assessment of red/green (RG) and yellow / blue (YB) colour vision and rod‐ and cone‐mediated rapid flicker sensitivity.Methods: Two patients with confirmed early hydroxychloroquine maculopathy participated in the study. RG and YB colour thresholds were measured with the Colour Assessment and Diagnosis (CAD) test. Cone and rod‐mediated rapid flicker sensitivity was also measured in both central and paracentral vision using the Flicker‐Plus test. Both patients had taken HCQ for more than 15 years and had paracentral scotomas on 10–2 field test and loss of the parafoveal outer nuclear layer and ellipsoid layer, confirming the presence of maculopathy. To test the hypothesis of parafoveal toxicity risk, 20 short wavelength (BAF) and infrared wavelength (IRAF) autofluorescence images were reviewed. The BAF images are surrogate markers of the macular pigment and the IRAF the melanin concentration. Normalized maps of the difference between BAF and IRAF were calculated to investigate the possibility of a ring of vulnerable tissue.Results: Both patients had normal RG, but abnormal YB colour thresholds. One subject had normal cone flicker thresholds, but the rod flicker thresholds were raised in all quadrants in both eyes. The second subject had significantly elevated rod thresholds and elevated cone flicker thresholds in both eyes. Of note is that the degree of retinopathy in the second patient was greater than in the first. The areas of greatest threshold elevation correlated with the areas of greatest field loss and anatomical disruption on OCT.Conclusion: These new findings show that hydroxychloroquine retinopathy affects preferentially both YB colour vision and rod‐mediated flicker sensitivity. The cone‐mediated flicker sensitivity is also affected in more advanced disease. A model for the anatomical location of the toxicity will be presented, based on the hypothesis outlined above.

Association Between Rate of Ganglion Cell Complex Thinning and Rate of Central Visual Field Loss

Whether rapid ganglion cell complex (GCC) thinning during an initial follow-up period is associated with rates of central visual field loss over time is unclear but important to understand because risk of glaucoma progression can help guide treatment intensity. To investigate the association between the rate of GCC thinning during initial follow-up and the rate of central visual field loss. This retrospective cohort study assessed patients older than 18 years with glaucoma at a tertiary glaucoma center who were followed up from June 18, 2014, to January 11, 2019. Data analysis for the current study was undertaken in March 2022. Initial rates of GCC thinning were obtained from global GCC thickness values of the first 3 optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans. Rates of central visual field loss were assessed as the change in central (10-2) visual field mean deviation during the 4.7-year follow-up period by univariable and multivariable linear mixed-effects models. Eyes were categorized as slow (>-1 μm/y) or fast (≤-1 μm/y) progressors based on rates of GCC thinning. The cohort consisted of 202 eyes of 139 patients (mean [SD] age, 68.7 [10.0] years; 72 male [51.8%]); 44 African American patients (31.7%), 13 Asian patients (9.4%), 80 White patients (57.6%), and 2 patients who identified as other race and ethnicity (1.4%) were analyzed. The rate of GCC change was -0.56 μm/y (95% CI, -0.66 to -0.46 μm/y) during a mean initial follow-up of 1.8 years (95% CI, 1.7-2.0 years). A total of 163 eyes (80.7%) were slow OCT progressors, and 39 (19.3%) were fast OCT progressors, with rates of GCC thinning of -0.3 μm/y (95% CI, -0.4 to -0.2 μm/y) and -1.6 μm/y (-1.8 to -1.3 μm/y), respectively. The rates of 10-2 visual field mean deviation worsening among slow and fast OCT progressors were -0.10 dB/y (95% CI, -0.16 to 0.00 dB/y) and -0.34 dB/y (95% CI, -0.51 to -0.16 dB/y), respectively (difference, -0.26 dB/y; 95% CI, -0.45 to -0.07 dB/y; P = .008). In this cohort study, rapid GCC thinning during an initial follow-up period was associated with faster rates of central visual field decline. These findings support use of longitudinal macular OCT scans assisting clinical decision-making for glaucoma and also may guide possible intensification of therapy in high-risk patients.

Pointwise Modeling for Predicting Visual Field Progression in Korean Glaucoma Patients

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of pointwise modeling for predicting visual field (VF) progression in Korean glaucoma patients.Methods: Open-angle glaucoma or glaucoma suspect patients with VFs ≥ 10 times, who were followed-up for ≥ 6 years, wereincluded. Linear, exponential, and polynomial regression of threshold values at each test point against time were performed. Model fit was evaluated based on root mean squared error (RMSE) for the entire longitudinal VF series. To evaluate prediction ability, VFs from the first 5 years were used to estimate model parameters, followed by calculation of threshold values for 1, 2, 3, 5 years to obtain RMSE. Prediction ability was compared regarding initial threshold value and also central and peripheral VF area.Results: Four hundred thirty-nine eyes (280 patients) were included. The mean follow-up duration and number of VF tests were 9.64 years and 13.02, respectively. When fitting the entire VF series, polynomial model had the lowest RMSE (<i>p</i> < 0.001). For 1-year predictions, linear model had the lowest RMSE, while exponential model had the lowest RMSE for 3- and 5-year predictions (<i>p</i> < 0.001). For 1- and 2-year predictions, exponential and linear models had the lowest RMSEs, with initial sensitivities of 0-7 and 20-27 decibel (dB), respectively (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Compared to exponential model, linear model had lower RMSE for 1-year, but higher RMSE for 3- and 5-year at peripheral VF area (<i>p</i> < 0.001). For central VF area, exponential model had lower RMSEs for 2-, 3-, and 5-year predictions compared to linear model (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.015).Conclusions: The linear model outperformed the exponential model for short-term predictions, while the exponential model was better for long-term predictions. The prediction performance of the exponential model was superior to that of the linear model for central VFs, and for test points with lower initial sensitivities.

The number of examinations required for the accurate prediction of the progression of the central 10-degree visual field test in glaucoma

The purpose of the study was to investigate the number of examinations required to precisely predict the future central 10-degree visual field (VF) test and to evaluate the effect of fitting non-linear models, including quadratic regression, exponential regression, logistic regression, and M-estimator robust regression model, for eyes with glaucoma. 180 eyes from 133 open angle glaucoma patients with a minimum of 13 Humphrey Field Analyzer 10-2 SITA standard VF tests were analyzed in this study. Using trend analysis with ordinary least squares linear regression (OLSLR), the first, second, and third future VFs were predicted in a point-wise (PW) manner using a varied number of prior VF sequences, and mean absolute errors (MAE) were calculated. The number of VFs needed to reach the minimum 95% confidence interval (CI) of the MAE of the OLSLR was investigated. We also examined the effect of applying other non-linear models. When predicting the first, second, and third future VFs using OLSLR, the minimum MAE was obtained using VF1–12 (2.15 ± 0.98 dB), VF1–11 (2.33 ± 1.10 dB), and VF1–10 (2.63 ± 1.36 dB), respectively. To reach the 95% CI of these MAEs, 10, 10, and 8 VFs were needed for the first, second and third future VF predictions, respectively. No improvement was observed by applying non-linear regression models. As a conclusion, approximately 8–10 VFs were needed to achieve an accurate prediction of PW VF sensitivity of the 10-degree central VF.

Deep Learning Estimation of 10-2 Visual Field Map Based on Circumpapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Measurements

To estimate central 10-degree visual field (VF) map from spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) measurements in glaucoma with artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence (convolutional neural networks) study. This study included 5352 SD-OCT scans and 10-2 VF pairs from 1365 eyes of 724 healthy patients, patients with suspected glaucoma, and patients with glaucoma. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were developed to estimate the 68 individual sensitivity thresholds of 10-2 VF map using all-sectors (CNNA) and temporal-sectors (CNNT) RNFL thickness information of the SD-OCT circle scan (768 thickness points). 10-2 indices including pointwise total deviation (TD) values, mean deviation (MD), and pattern standard deviation (PSD) were generated using the CNN-estimated sensitivity thresholds at individual test locations. Linear regression (LR) models with the same input were used for comparison. The CNNA model achieved an average pointwise mean absolute error of 4.04 dB (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.76-4.35) and correlation coefficient (r) of 0.59 (95% CI 0.52-0.64) over 10-2 map and the mean absolute error and r of 2.88 dB (95% CI 2.63-3.15) and 0.74 (95% CI 0.67-0.80) for MD, and 2.31 dB (95% CI 2.03-2.61) and 0.59 (95% CI 0.51-0.65) for PSD estimations, respectively, significantly outperforming the LRA model. The proposed CNNA model improved the estimation of 10-2 VF map based on circumpapillary SD-OCT RNFL thickness measurements. These artificial intelligence methods using SD-OCT structural data show promise to individualize the frequency of central VF assessment in patients with glaucoma and would enable the reallocation of resources from patients at lowest risk to those at highest risk of central VF damage.

Features of Visual Dysfunctions in Patients with Primary Hypothyroidism and Thyrotoxicosis

Purpose: to study the prevalence and nature of visual dysfunctions in patients with primary hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis.Material and methods. The material for this study was the results of a survey of 54 patients (108 eyes) with thyroid dysfunctions: 32 people (64 eyes) with primary untreated hypothyroidism and 22 people (44 eyes) with primary untreated thyrotoxicosis. Static automated perimetry and dedicated shortwave infrared (blue-yellow) perimetry were performed. The average total value of the photosensitivity of each (n = 74) tested point of the field of view was analyzed, the topography of the location of focal defects was studied, and the severity of impairments to photosensitivity was assessed by aggregate signs.Results. Reliably high sensitivity (92.6 %) and specificity (50.0 %) of short-wave infrared perimetry in relation to static automated perimetry were revealed. In thyroid dysfunctions, the prevalence of optic neuropathy reaches 93 % according to the data of short-wave infrared perimetry versus 7 % of static automated perimetry. It is manifested by a diffuse decrease in light sensitivity to blue stimulus with an increase in the depth of depression from the center to the periphery in both types of thyroid dysfunction. Against this background, with primary hypothyroidism, focal defects appeared in the form of first-order scotomas, and with primary thyrotoxicosis, second-order scotomas. Scotomas were located at the periphery of the central visual field, 20–30° from the fixation point. In the analyzed groups, high average group indices of the maximum corrected visual acuity were established, which allows us to speak about the safety of the photopic (cone) component of the visual analyzer.Conclusion. The pattern of photosensitivity disorders, the topography of the location of the loci of local defects revealed by the short-wave infrared perimetry, indicate that the earliest signs of optical neuropathy are manifested at the level of photoreceptors — selectively in the S-cones. Decreased sensitivity to blue stimulus (440 nm) refers to an acquired color anomaly called tritanopia; which can be present with high visual function, is most often associated with a decrease in the number of S-cones and a deficiency of retinol (the source of cyanolab synthesis).

Higher susceptibility to central crowding in glaucoma

ABSTRACT Clinical relevance Crowding limits many daily life activities, such as reading and the visual search for objects in cluttered environments. Excessive sensitivity to crowding, especially in central vision, may amplify the difficulties of patients with ocular pathologies. It is thus important to investigate what limits visual activities and how to improve it. Background Numerous studies have reported reduced contrast sensitivity in central vision in patients with glaucoma. However, deficits have also been observed for letter recognition at high contrast, suggesting that contrast alone cannot completely account for impaired central perception. Method Seventeen patients and fifteen age-matched controls were randomly presented with letters in central or parafoveal vision at 5° eccentricity for 200 ms. They were asked to decide whether the central T was upright or inverted. The T was either presented in isolation (uncrowded) or flanked by two Hs (crowded) at various spacings. Contrast was manipulated: 60% and 5%. Results Compared to controls, patients exhibited a significant effect of crowding in central vision, with higher accuracy for the isolated T than for HTH only at low contrast. In parafoveal vision, an effect of crowding was also observed only in patients. The spacing to escape crowding varied as a function of contrast. Larger spacing was required at low contrast than at high contrast. Susceptibility to crowding was related to central visual field defect for central presentations and to contrast sensitivity for parafoveal presentations, only at low contrast. Controls were at ceiling level both for central and parafoveal presentations. Conclusion Crowding limits visual perception, impeding reading and object recognition in cluttered environments. Visual field defects and lower contrast sensitivity in glaucoma can increase susceptibility to central and parafoveal crowding, the deleterious effect of which can be improved by manipulating contrast and spacing between elements.

Association of macular vessel density and ganglion cell complex thickness with central visual field progression in glaucoma

Background/aimsTo evaluate the association of macular vessel density (VD) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness with 10–2 central visual field (CVF) progression in glaucoma.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, patients with...

Effects of visual span on Chinese reading performance in normal peripheral vision

The current study examined the relationships among temporal processing speed, spatial visual span and Chinese character reading speed in normal central and peripheral vision. Maximum reading speed (MRS) and critical print size (CPS) of 26 native Chinese readers (13 young and 13 older adults) were determined at three visual field locations: central vision, 10° left and 10° below fixation using a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task. Temporal processing speed was measured using trigrams of randomly selected Chinese characters presented at a range of exposure durations, while spatial visual span was measured using trigrams presented at different spatial positions. It was found that shorter temporal processing speed and larger spatial visual span were associated with faster MRS at the central and inferior visual field locations, but not at the left of fixation location. As expected, reading and visual span metrics were better in central vision compared to both peripheral locations. In addition, reading, temporal processing, and spatial visual span metrics were better in the young than older subjects (except for similar temporal processing speed at two peripheral locations). The results for central and inferior presentation locations support the hypothesis that temporal processing speed and spatial visual span were associated with Chinese character reading speed. Surprisingly, no correlation was observed for the 10° left of the fixation location, suggesting that the factors affecting reading speed might differ for inferior and lateral peripheral viewing locations.

Intrasession and Intersession Reproducibility of Artificial Scotoma pRF Mapping Results at Ultra-High Fields.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) combined with population receptive field (pRF) mapping allows for associating positions on the visual cortex to areas on the visual field. Apart from applications in healthy subjects, this method can also be used to examine dysfunctions in patients suffering from partial visual field losses. While such objective measurement of visual deficits (scotoma) is of great importance for, e.g., longitudinal studies addressing treatment effects, it requires a thorough assessment of accuracy and reproducibility of the results obtained. In this study, we quantified the reproducibility of pRF mapping results within and across sessions in case of central visual field loss in a group of 15 human subjects. We simulated scotoma by masking a central area of 2° radius from stimulation to establish ground-truth conditions. This study was performed on a 7T ultra-high field MRI scanner for increased sensitivity. We found excellent intrasession and intersession reproducibility for the pRF center position (Spearman correlation coefficients for x, y: >0.95; eccentricity: >0.87; polar angle: >0.98), but only modest reproducibility for pRF size (Spearman correlation coefficients around 0.4). We further examined the scotoma detection performance using an automated method based on a reference dataset acquired with full-field stimulation. For the 2° artificial scotoma, the group-averaged scotoma sizes were estimated at between 1.92° and 2.19° for different sessions. We conclude that pRF mapping of visual field losses yields robust, reproducible measures of retinal function and suggest the use of pRF mapping as an objective method for monitoring visual deficits during therapeutic interventions or disease progression.

Visuell evozierte Potenziale bei neurologischen Erkrankungen

Purpose. Light triggers a chemical reaction in the retinal photoreceptors. Electrical signals are transmitted through all neurons of the visual pathway into the visual cortex. Resulting potential fluctuations can be derived as visually evoked po- tentials (VEP) and analyzed regarding latency and amplitude in order to get an indication of pathological changes within the visual pathway. Method. This article shall explain the processes leading to the emergence of potentials in the visual cortex, which methods and techniques of VEP are available and in which neurological diseases a clinical added value for finding a diagnosis is given. Results. In VEP, a response of all neurons is represented, which is mainly generated by central visual field components. In order to be able to represent pathologies, that affect only partial areas of the visual field, the measurement technique of multifocal evoked potentials (mfVEP) was invented, with which potentials can be assigned to certain retinal areas. In neurology, VEP are mostly used for testing for optic neuritis,mainly in the context of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuro- myelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). In MS, latency delay and amplitude reduction are typical in the acute stage, after subsiding only latency delays are typical. In NMOSD, a very strong reduction of the amplitude is a typical sign. MfVEP confirm pathological changes of VEP, but also show a central amplitude reduction in MS, while in NMOSD the central potentials are almost extinguished. In other neurolog- ical diseases, changes in VEP may occur, but are not specific, therefore they do not bring any additional clinical benefit to the diagnosis. Conclusion. In neurological diseases, VEP can show specific changes, especially in optic neurites, and can therefore bring clinical added value in finding a diagnosis. Keywords VEP, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Migraine

Ancillary PanoMap OCT shows the progression of glaucomatous papillomacular bundle defect with disc haemorrhage on the fovea–disc axis

Background/aimsTo identify the spatial relationship between disc haemorrhage (DH) on the fovea–disc axis and retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) defect in the papillomacular bundle (PMB) using ancillary PanoMap optical coherence...

Central visual field defects and optical coherence tomography angiography changes following congenital optic disc pit without maculopathy

Central visual field defects and optical coherence tomography angiography changes following congenital optic disc pit without maculopathy

Different check sizes pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials study in patients with compensated hepatic cirrhosis

Background: Cirrhosis is a dynamic process starts after sustained inflammation, followed by necrosis of liver cells and fibrosis that occur as a normal wound healing response then nodular formation that eventually lead to hepatic dysfunction. Aim and objectives: Study the effect of hepatic cirrhosis on cerebral cortex and subcortical pathways using VEP, and Comparison between different VEP check sizes in detection of early encephalopathy among cirrhotics. Subjects and methods: This was a case/control study carried out on 45 cirrhotic patients, and 45 matched normal controls. All subjects underwent full opthalmological assesment prio to the conduction of the PVEP, after the approval of the ethical committee. Results: the studied cases had significantly more delayed latency and lower amplitude than the studied controls on both sides at both 1 degree and 15 minutes check sizes (P-value<0.05), however 13 patiebts were detected by the 15 min check size to be abnormal on he contrary of the 1 degree chech size that detected changes only in 6 patients. Conclusion: Vep 15 min is more sensitive in detecting early changes in cirrhotic patients. denoting that most of the hepatic encephalopathy changes are affecting the central visual field.

Case Report: Improved Choroidal Circulation in a Patient with Unilateral Acute Idiopathic Maculopathy

Unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy is a rare retinochoroidal disorder, the cause of which is unknown. Multimodal retinal imaging obtained in this case suggests that the cause of unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy is impaired choroidal circulation. This study aimed to report a patient with unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy who showed improvement of choroidal circulation over time in optical coherence tomography angiography images. A 33-year-old woman with a prodromal flu-like illness noticed a sudden central visual field abnormality in the right eye. Five days after the onset, best-corrected visual acuity was 0.15 in the right eye. Fundus photography showed a yellowish lesion at the macula in the right eye. Optical coherence tomography showed a blurred ellipsoid zone and a thickened retinal pigment epithelium at the fovea and a disrupted/blurred ellipsoid zone and retinal pigment epithelium at the parafovea. Optical coherence tomography angiography segmentation of the choriocapillaris revealed a hypointense region at the fovea with a hyperintense region surrounding it. One week after the onset, best-corrected visual acuity was improved from 0.15 to 2.0 in the right eye. Furthermore, the yellowish macula lesion shrank, and the outer retinal layers showed improvement in optical coherence tomography. Optical coherence tomography angiography showed reduction of the hypointense region and enlargement of the hyperintense region. Approximately 1 year after the onset, the yellowish lesion was faded. Optical coherence tomography revealed an almost normal ellipsoid zone but a thickened interdigitation zone. Optical coherence tomography angiography also revealed an apparent hyperintense instead of the hypointense region and increased choroidal blood flow. The current patient showed a gradual recovery of choroidal circulation and outer retinal layer morphology 1 year after the onset of unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy. Optical coherence tomography angiography findings indicated that the primary cause of unilateral acute idiopathic maculopathy was impaired choroidal circulation, and choroidal vessels improved morphologically over the disease course.

Effect of a Dexamethasone Implant on Rheological Blood Parameters in Patients Treated for Retinal Vein Thrombosis.

PurposeTo assess the effect of the prolonged-release dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex) in patients with retinal venous thrombosis on blood rheological parameters and evaluate the impact on morphological and functional parameters.MethodsProspective cross-sectional study involved 35 subjects treated with central retinal vein and vein branch occlusion with intravitreal dexamethasone implant and 35 healthy subjects in control group. Hematocrit, blood and plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation amplitude (EAA), index (EAI), aggregation half-life time (EAT1/2), and erythrocyte deformability (ED) were evaluated. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT) and visual field (VF) were examined. All the parameters were examined at the baseline, 7 and 30 days after the treatment. The results were analyzed with correlation and regression and compared to the baseline values.ResultsIn the studied group, three hemorheological parameters improved as early as on the 7th day after the drug administration, and this improvement remained at a similar level on the 30th day. The EAA increased by 21.26% on day 7 and by 19.78% on day 30, the EAI decreased by 10.55% on day 7 and by 9.14% on day 30 and the EAT1/2 time increased by 38.50% on day 7 and by 31.02% on day 30. On day 7, the BCVA was improved by 1 row, CRT was reduced by 170.77 µm (24.49%), and the VF was improved by 9.8 dB (49.92%) compared to baseline parameters. On day 30, the BCVA was improved by three rows, CRT reduced by 244.68 µm (35.09%), and VF improved by 12.09 dB (61.59%).ConclusionThe intravitreal dexamethasone implant used in treating macular oedema in patients with RVO has a statistically significant effect on some rheological parameters of blood, reduction of CRT and clinical improvement in BCVA and VF.

Association of Superficial and Deep Macular Microvasculature with Central Visual Field Sensitivity in Glaucomatous Eyes with High Myopia.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between two distinct layers of macular vessel density (superficial vascular plexus (SVP) and deep vascular plexus (DVP)) and central visual field sensitivity (cVFS) in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) eyes with high myopia. Method: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 148 OAG eyes (64 highly myopic (HMG) and 84 non-highly myopic glaucomas (NMG)) as well as 54 healthy eyes. High myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent of less than −6.0 diopters or an axial length of ≥26.0 mm. The global and sectoral SVP–cVFS and DVP–cVFS relationships were compared in each group. Macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness (mGCIPLT)–cVFS relationships were also investigated as reference standards. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify the clinical factors associated with cVFS. Results: DVP–cVFS correlations were as strong as those for SVP–cVFS and mGCIPLT–cVFS in HMG eyes. In contrast, DVP–cVFS correlations were significantly lower than SVP–cVFS and mGCILT–cVFS correlations in NMG eyes. In linear regression analysis, both SVP and DVP were significantly associated with cVFS in HMG eyes, but only SVP showed a significant correlation with cVFS in NMG eyes. Conclusion: DVP assessment using OCT-A may be a useful tool for detecting and monitoring OAG eyes with high myopia.

Does hand modulate the reshaping of the attentional system during rightward prism adaptation? An fMRI study.

Adaptation to right-deviating prisms (R-PA), that is, learning to point with the right hand to targets perceived through prisms, has been shown to change spatial topography within the inferior parietal lobule (IPL) by increasing responses to left, central, and right targets on the left hemisphere and decreasing responses to right and central targets on the right hemisphere. As pointed out previously, this corresponds to a switch of the dominance of the ventral attentional network from the right to the left hemisphere. Since the encoding of hand movements in pointing paradigms is side-dependent, the choice of right vs. left hand for pointing during R-PA may influence the visuomotor adaptation process and hence the reshaping of the attentional system. We have tested this hypothesis in normal subjects by comparing activation patterns to visual targets in left, central, and right fields elicited before and after adaptation to rightward-deviating prisms using the right hand (RWRH) with those in two control groups. The first control group underwent adaptation to rightward-deviating prisms using the left hand, whereas the second control group underwent adaptation to leftward-deviating prisms using the right hand. The present study confirmed the previously described enhancement of left and central visual field representation within left IPL following R-PA. It further showed that the use of right vs. left hand during adaptation modulates this enhancement in some but not all parts of the left IPL. Interestingly, in some clusters identified in this study, L-PA with right hand mimics partially the effect of R-PA by enhancing activation elicited by left stimuli in the left IPL and by decreasing activation elicited by right stimuli in the right IPL. Thus, the use of right vs. left hand modulates the R-PA-induced reshaping of the ventral attentional system. Whether the choice of hand during R-PA affects also the reshaping of the dorsal attentional system remains to be determined as well as possible clinical applications of this approach. Depending on the patients' conditions, using the right or the left hand during PA might potentiate the beneficial effects of this intervention.

Cohort Study of Race/Ethnicity and Incident Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Characterized by Autonomously Determined Visual Field Loss Patterns.

PurposeWe evaluated racial/ethnic differences in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) defined by machine-learning–derived regional visual field (VF) loss patterns.MethodsParticipants (N = 209,036) from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS; 1980–2018), Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS2; 1989–2019), and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS; 1986–2018) who were ≥40 years of age and free of glaucoma were followed biennially. Incident POAG cases (n = 1946) with reproducible VF loss were confirmed with medical records. Total deviation information from the earliest reliable glaucomatous VF for each POAG eye (n = 2564) was extracted, and machine learning analyses were used to identify optimal solutions (“archetypes”) for regional VF loss patterns. Each POAG eye was assigned a VF archetype based on the highest weighting coefficient. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using per-eye Cox proportional hazards models.ResultsWe identified 14 archetypes: four representing advanced loss patterns, nine of early loss, and one of no VF loss. Compared to non-Hispanic whites, black participants had higher risk of early VF loss archetypes (HR = 1.98; 95% CI, 1.48–2.66) and even higher risk for advanced loss archetypes (HR = 6.17; 95% CI, 3.69–10.32; P-contrast = 0.0002); no differences were observed for Asians or Hispanic whites. Hispanic white participants had significantly higher risks of POAG with paracentral defects and advanced superior loss; black participants had significantly higher risks of all advanced loss archetypes and three early loss patterns, including paracentral defects.ConclusionsBlacks, compared to non-Hispanic whites, had higher risks of POAG with early central and advanced VF loss.Translational RelevanceIn POAG, risks of VF loss regional patterns derived from machine learning algorithms showed racial differences.

Border tissue morphology is associated with the pattern of visual field progression in open-angle glaucoma

The etiology of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is yet unclear. This study investigated possible risk factors, such as the morphology of the border tissue that affect the pattern of visual field (VF) progression in eyes with OAG. 166 eyes of 166 OAG patients with an externally oblique border tissue (EOBT) at least in one direction were included. EOBT was obtained by analyzing enhanced depth imaging spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images. A pointwise linear regression was used to determine VF progression by measuring the deterioration rate of each point in the VF. The odds ratio of VF progression for each risk factor was estimated using logistic regression analysis. Seventy (42.2%) eyes showed VF deterioration. In multivariate analysis, longer follow-up period, higher baseline intraocular pressure (IOP), lower mean ocular perfusion pressure (MOPP), and smaller angular location of the longest EOBT were associated with VF progression (all p values were below 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, the location of the longest EOBT was significantly associated with inferior (p = 0.002) and central (p = 0.017) VF progression. In conclusion, VF progression pattern in OAG eyes is associated with the location of the longest EOBT as well as other known risk factors.