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Temporal sensitivity deficits in patients with high-risk drusen
J A Phipps1, R H Guymer, A J Vingrys
1Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Purpose:
Data is reported from an ongoing trial considering functional losses in patients with high-risk drusen. We evaluate the temporal processing in 12 subjects: four patients with high-risk drusen, four age-matched controls and four young observers aged 22-30.
Methods:
Subjects were tested using frequency-doubling technology, macula static and flicker fields on a Medmont perimeter and foveal temporal contrast sensitivity at 2, 5, 10 and 24 Hz.
Results:
Eyes with high-risk drusen had good visual acuity (6/9.5(-2) or better). All control eyes had normal fields for static, flicker and frequency-doubling perimetry. All high-risk drusen eyes had normal static perimetry in the presence of abnormal flicker and frequency-doubling perimetry. High-risk drusen eyes showed a generalized loss of temporal sensitivity across all frequencies.
Conclusions:
We conclude that eyes with high-risk drusen show losses to temporal stimuli in the presence of near-normal acuity and static thresholds. We suggest that flickering stimuli might be useful for detecting and monitoring such patients.
