The Proportion of Individuals Likely to Benefit from Customized Optic Nerve Head Structure-Function Mapping

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Medical imaging

Background:

• Interindividual variations in optic nerve head (ONH) anatomy, including position and axial length, necessitate personalized structure-function mapping.
• Conventional mapping may not accurately represent the relationship between visual field defects and ONH sectors in all individuals.

Observation:

• A significant proportion of the population exhibits substantial deviations in structure-function mapping compared to generalized models.
• The nasal step region shows the most pronounced interindividual differences, with potential for visual field locations to map to opposite ONH sectors.

Findings:

• Approximately 12% of eyes demonstrate markedly different ONH sector mappings when using an anatomically customized approach versus a generalized one.
• These discrepancies are most notable in the nasal step region, where visual field locations can correspond to contralateral ONH sectors.

Implications:

• Customized ONH to visual field mapping can enhance the clinical utility of visual field tests for diagnosing and monitoring glaucoma.
• Accurate, individualized structure-function correlation is crucial, especially in early glaucomatous damage affecting the nasal step region.