Correlation of papillomacular nerve fiber bundle thickness with central visual function in open-angle glaucoma

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.
• Central visual function impairment is a significant concern in glaucoma management.
• Early detection of central visual function loss is crucial for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between central papillomacular bundle (CPB) retinal thickness and central visual function in glaucoma patients.
• To evaluate novel optical coherence tomography (OCT) based CPB analysis for assessing visual function.
• To identify potential biomarkers for decreased central visual function in glaucoma.

Main Methods:

• Fifty eyes of 50 open-angle glaucoma patients were analyzed.
• A novel CPB analysis using OCT measured retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and ganglion cell complex thickness (GCCT) in upper, middle, and lower CPB segments.
• Correlation with central visual field sensitivity (central four thresholds) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was assessed.

Main Results:

• Macular GCCT and macular RNFLT showed the strongest correlation with central visual field sensitivity.
• Middle CPB GCCT and middle CPB RNFLT were most highly correlated with BCVA.
• Multiple regression analysis identified middle CPB GCCT as an independent factor affecting both central retinal thresholds and BCVA.

Conclusions:

• Novel CPB analysis parameters, specifically middle CPB RNFLT and GCCT, are promising biomarkers for detecting decreased central visual function in glaucoma.
• These findings suggest that mid-CPB thickness measurements can aid in monitoring glaucoma progression and visual function decline.