Targeted High-Density Microperimetry Testing of Nascent Geographic Atrophy in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

PURPOSE: To examine the effectiveness of a targeted high-density microperimetry testing strategy for detecting visual sensitivity abnormalities in eyes with nascent geographic atrophy (nGA) when compared with standard central microperimetry testing.

DESIGN

Observational study.

PARTICIPANTS

Three-hundred and twenty-one eyes from 176 individuals with nonneovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

METHODS

Thirty-five eyes from 33 participants underwent targeted high-density microperimetry testing of atrophic lesions (either nGA or geographic atrophy [GA]) within a 1.75° radius (or approximately 1000 μm diameter) region. Another cohort of 286 eyes from 143 participants with bilateral large drusen at baseline underwent standard microperimetry testing of the central 6° radius region at 6-monthly intervals for up to 36 months and thus included eyes that developed nGA and GA over the follow-up. All eyes underwent 2 tests at each visit to evaluate intrasession measurement repeatability.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Magnitude of visual sensitivity abnormalities based on mean sensitivity (MS), pointwise sensitivity standard deviation (PSD), and the number of test locations with a threshold of ≤ 10 decibels (dB; or deep defects) in eyes with nGA, compared between eyes that underwent targeted high-density microperimetry testing and standard central microperimetry testing.

RESULTS

The magnitude of visual sensitivity abnormalities based on MS, PSD and the number of deep defects were all significantly greater in eyes with nGA using targeted, high-density microperimetry testing compared with eyes with nGA using standard central microperimetry testing (all P < 0.001) and were all significantly less than eyes with GA using targeted, high-density microperimetry testing (all P ≤ 0.004). The intrasession coefficient of repeatability, where 95% of the test-retest differences are expected to occur, for MS in eyes with atrophic changes was 0.9 dB with the targeted, high-density microperimetry testing, and 1.8 dB with standard central microperimetry testing.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeted, high-density microperimetry testing enabled the detection of a significantly greater magnitude of visual sensitivity abnormalities in eyes with nGA than standard microperimetry testing.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.