Evaluation of Functional Visual Acuity in Glaucoma Patients.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Vision Science
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
• Visual field loss is a hallmark of glaucoma, often progressing unnoticed.
• Assessing visual function beyond standard visual acuity is crucial for glaucoma management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between functional visual acuity (FVA) and visual fields in glaucoma patients.
• To determine the correlation between FVA measurements and standard visual field parameters.

Main Methods:

• Forty-seven glaucoma patients with good best-corrected visual acuity (≥1.0) were enrolled.
• Functional visual acuity (FVA) and visual maintenance ratio were measured using the AS-28 system.
• Humphrey automated perimetry was used to obtain mean deviation (MD) and foveal threshold.

Main Results:

• LogMAR FVA values showed a moderate correlation with foveal threshold (R=0.51, P<0.001).
• Visual maintenance ratio also correlated moderately with foveal threshold (R=0.48, P<0.001).
• Correlations with mean deviation (MD) were weaker but statistically significant (R=0.26 and R=0.25, respectively).

Conclusions:

• LogMAR FVA and visual maintenance ratio are moderately associated with foveal threshold in glaucoma.
• These findings suggest FVA may offer additional insights into visual function in glaucoma.
• Further research can explore FVA's role in monitoring glaucoma progression.