Preliminary evaluation of flicker sensitivity as a predictive test for exudative age-related maculopathy

Flicker contrast sensitivity was tested in the "good" eyes of 13 patients with monocular exudative age-related maculopathy (ARM). The stimulus was a foveal, long-wavelength, low spatial frequency 2.8 degrees circle in an equiluminant (photopic) surround. Two of these ARM-risk eyes have since developed exudative ARM. Compared to healthy age-matched eyes, the two eyes that developed exudative ARM had significantly lower sensitivity at 10-40 Hz up to 9 mo before exudative symptoms appeared. The implications of these results regarding the time-course of ARM and the predictive value of foveal contrast sensitivity testing are considered. Based upon data and theoretical considerations, the authors speculate that sensitivity loss between 10 and 40 Hz is a good predictor of which eyes will develop exudative ARM. This proposal will be tested by new data from current as well as new ARM-risk subjects.