Patients with advanced age-related macular degeneration in one eye and early age-related macular degeneration in their fellow eye will have their fellow eye evaluated over a three year interval with computer-assisted maps of macular malfunction, Amsler grid testing, blue-cone thresholds in the fovea, and foveal cone electroretinograms. Results will be compared with the appearance of the macula in the fellow eye quantified from optically- scanned fundus photographs and fluorescein angiograms to determine to what extent changes in these macular function tests correspond with changes seen in the fundus on the same or subsequent visits and precede the development of exudative maculopathy and/or loss of visual acuity. In separate sets of patients with early stages of either age-related or juvenile macular degeneration, cone and rod dark adaptation kinetics will be assessed with long and short duration bleaches in regions of the macula outside the foveola to help determine if the retinal pigment epithelium or the photoreceptors, or both, are primarily involved, and to evaluate whether rod malfunction precedes cone malfunction in these regions. This research should provide a better understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms that may be involved in these conditions. In the case of age-related macular degeneration, macular degeneration, demonstration of the usefulness of one or more of the functional tests under study in detecting more patients with impending exudative maculopathy and loss of visual acuity may increase the number of patients who would subsequently benefit from laser therapy.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY008398-02
Application #
3265721
Study Section
Visual Sciences B Study Section (VISB)
Project Start
1990-05-01
Project End
1995-04-30
Budget Start
1991-05-01
Budget End
1992-04-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Harvard University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
082359691
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02115
Sandberg, M A; Weiner, A; Miller, S et al. (1998) High-risk characteristics of fellow eyes of patients with unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology 105:441-7
Gaudio, A R; Sandberg, M A (1998) The effect of a lower blood pressure on choroidal filling in age-related macular degeneration. Retina 18:439-42
Sandberg, M A; Pawlyk, B S; Berson, E L (1996) Isolation of focal rod electroretinograms from the dark-adapted human eye. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 37:930-4
Remulla, J F; Gaudio, A R; Miller, S et al. (1995) Foveal electroretinograms and choroidal perfusion characteristics in fellow eyes of patients with unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Br J Ophthalmol 79:558-61
Sandberg, M A; Gaudio, A R (1995) Slow photostress recovery and disease severity in age-related macular degeneration. Retina 15:407-12
Sandberg, M A; Gaudio, A R; Miller, S et al. (1994) Iris pigmentation and extent of disease in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 35:2734-40
Tolentino, M J; Miller, S; Gaudio, A R et al. (1994) Visual field deficits in early age-related macular degeneration. Vision Res 34:409-13
Sandberg, M A; Tolentino, M J; Miller, S et al. (1993) Hyperopia and neovascularization in age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmology 100:1009-13
Sandberg, M A; Miller, S; Gaudio, A R (1993) Foveal cone ERGs in fellow eyes of patients with unilateral neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 34:3477-80
Rizzo 3rd, J F; Cronin-Golomb, A; Growdon, J H et al. (1992) Retinocalcarine function in Alzheimer's disease. A clinical and electrophysiological study. Arch Neurol 49:93-101

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