Contrast Sensitivity Better Reflects Wide-Field Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Vascular...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Imaging
• Visual Function Testing

Background:

• Widefield swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (WF SS-OCTA) is an advanced imaging technique.
• Understanding its relationship with visual function is crucial for clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between WF SS-OCTA imaging and visual function in healthy eyes.
• To determine if retinal vascular metrics correlate with visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS).

Main Methods:

• Fifty-seven eyes from 45 healthy patients were assessed.
• Visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity (CS), and WF SS-OCTA (3x3, 6x6, 12x12 mm) were performed.
• Mixed-effects multivariable regression analyses were conducted.

Main Results:

• Contrast sensitivity (CS) at 6-18 cycles per degree (cpd) and the area under the log CS function were significantly associated with vessel density (VD) and vessel skeletonized density (VSD).
• Visual acuity (VA) showed no significant association with these vascular metrics.
• The strongest correlations were between CS at 18 cpd and VD/VSD on 12x12 mm WF SS-OCTA images.

Conclusions:

• Reduced VSD and VD on WF SS-OCTA are linked to decreased CS in healthy eyes.
• Visual acuity (VA) was not associated with these retinal vascular parameters.
• CS may serve as a valuable screening tool for detecting early-stage retinal and neurological disorders.