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Publications (2)7.26 Total impact

  • Article: Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Atrophy Is Associated With Visual Field Loss Over Time in Glaucoma Suspect and Glaucomatous Eyes.
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    ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: To compare prospectively detection of progressive retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) atrophy identified using time-domain optical coherence tomography with visual field progression using standard automated perimetry in glaucoma suspect and preperimetric glaucoma patients or perimetric glaucoma patients. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal clinical trial. METHODS: Eligible eyes with 2 years or more of follow-up underwent time-domain optical coherence tomography and standard automated perimetry every 6 months. The occurrence of visual field progression was defined as the first follow-up visit reaching a significant (P < .05) negative visual field index slope over time. RNFL progression or improvement was defined as a significant negative or positive slope over time, respectively. Specificity was defined as the number of eyes with neither progression nor improvement, divided by the number of eyes without progression. Cox proportional hazard ratios were calculated using univariate and multivariate models with RNFL loss as a time-dependent covariate. RESULTS: Three hundred ten glaucoma suspect and preperimetric glaucoma eyes and 177 perimetric glaucoma eyes were included. Eighty-nine eyes showed visual field progression and 101 eyes showed RNFL progression. The average time to detect visual field progression in those 89 eyes was 35 ± 13 months, and the average time to detect RNFL progression in those 101 eyes was 36 ± 13 months. In multivariate Cox models, average and superior RNFL losses were associated with subsequent visual field index loss in the entire cohort (every 10-μm loss; hazard ratio, 1.38; P = .03; hazard ratio, 1.20; P = .01; respectively). Among the entire cohort of 487 eyes, 42 had significant visual field index improvement and 55 had significant RNFL improvement (specificity, 91.4% and 88.7%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Structural progression is associated with functional progression in glaucoma suspect and glaucomatous eyes. Average and superior RNFL thickness may predict subsequent standard automated perimetry loss.
    American journal of ophthalmology 10/2012; · 3.83 Impact Factor
  • Article: Relationship among visual field, blood flow, and neural structure measurements in glaucoma.
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    ABSTRACT: To determine the relationship among visual field, neural structural, and blood flow measurements in glaucoma. Case-control study. Forty-seven eyes of 42 patients with perimetric glaucoma were age-matched with 27 normal eyes of 27 patients. All patients underwent Doppler Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography to measure retinal blood flow and standard glaucoma evaluation with visual field testing and quantitative structural imaging. Linear regression analysis was performed to analyze the relationship among visual field, blood flow, and structure, after all variables were converted to logarithmic decibel scale. Retinal blood flow was reduced in glaucoma eyes compared to normal eyes (P < 0.001). Visual field loss was correlated with both reduced retinal blood flow and structural loss of rim area and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). There was no correlation or paradoxical correlation between blood flow and structure. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that reduced blood flow and structural loss are independent predictors of visual field loss. Each dB decrease in blood flow was associated with at least 1.62 dB loss in mean deviation (P ≤ 0.001), whereas each dB decrease in rim area and RNFL was associated with 1.15 dB and 2.56 dB loss in mean deviation, respectively (P ≤ 0.03). There is a close link between reduced retinal blood flow and visual field loss in glaucoma that is largely independent of structural loss. Further studies are needed to elucidate the causes of the vascular dysfunction and potential avenues for therapeutic intervention. Blood flow measurement may be useful as an independent assessment of glaucoma severity.
    Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 03/2012; 53(6):3020-6. · 3.43 Impact Factor