Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026
07:11
Assessing Early Stage Open-Angle Glaucoma in Patients by Isolated-Check Visual Evoked Potential
Published on: May 25, 2020
6.8K
Factors Associated with Referral to Low Vision for Patients with Advanced Glaucoma
Julia Ernst1,2, Janice Huang2,3, Jakob Tsosie1
1Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts University School of Medicine-Lahey School of Medicine, 31 Burlington Mall Rd, Burlington, MA 01805, USA.
Life (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 28, 2026
Summary
Most patients with severe open-angle glaucoma (OAG) who qualify for low vision rehabilitation (LVR) are not referred. Visual acuity, not visual field loss, significantly impacts LVR referral rates for OAG patients.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Low Vision Rehabilitation
- Glaucoma Management
Background:
- Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss globally.
- Low Vision Rehabilitation (LVR) services are crucial for patients with permanent vision impairment.
- Severe open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients face progressive visual disability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the referral rate of severe OAG patients for LVR services.
- To identify factors associated with LVR referral in this population.
- To assess the outcomes of LVR for eligible OAG patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, cross-sectional study of 522 severe OAG patients at an academic medical center.
- Data abstracted included demographics, glaucoma severity, visual acuity (VA), visual field (VF) testing, and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
- Logistic regression analyzed factors influencing LVR referral, with a focus on VA and VF loss.
Main Results:
- Only 2.7% (14/522) of eligible severe OAG patients were referred for LVR.
- Referral was strongly associated with presenting visual acuity (aOR=7.20, p=0.001), but not VF loss (aOR=0.90, p=0.876).
- Of referred patients, 93% completed visits, and over a third showed improved vision after low vision refraction.
Conclusions:
- The majority of severe OAG patients meeting LVR criteria are not being referred.
- Referral practices may not adequately account for the benefits of LVR in managing visual disability.
- Visual acuity is a key factor in LVR referral decisions for OAG patients.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Factors Affecting Protein-Drug Binding: Patient-Related Factors
322
Protein-drug binding, a pivotal aspect of pharmacokinetics, is subject to considerable variability influenced by an array of patient-related factors. The intricate interplay of age, individual differences, and pathological conditions significantly impact the binding dynamics and subsequent pharmacological effects.
Age stands as a key determinant in protein-drug binding. Neonates, characterized by low albumin content, experience heightened concentrations of unbound drugs such as phenytoin and...
Age stands as a key determinant in protein-drug binding. Neonates, characterized by low albumin content, experience heightened concentrations of unbound drugs such as phenytoin and...
322
01:24Vision
60.0K
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
60.0K
01:25Glaucoma: Overview
1.4K
Glaucoma is an eye condition characterized by increased intraocular pressure that damages the retina and optic nerve, leading to irreversible blindness if left untreated. The human eye has various components, including the cornea, iris, pupil, lens, and optic nerve. Aqueous humor is secreted by the epithelium of the ciliary body in the posterior chamber and flows through the trabecular meshwork and canal of Schlemm, maintaining normal intraocular pressure. The trabecular meshwork and the canal...
1.4K
01:24Color Vision
1.5K
Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
1.5K
01:27Open Angle Glaucoma: Treatment
990
In open-angle glaucoma, the iridocorneal angle remains open, but the trabecular meshwork becomes stiff, slowing down the outflow of aqueous humor. This causes a buildup of aqueous humor in the anterior chamber, leading to a sudden increase in intraocular pressure. The treatment for open-angle glaucoma focuses on reducing the elevated intraocular pressure by either decreasing the secretion of aqueous humor or increasing its outflow.
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
990
01:28Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment
1.2K
Angle-closure glaucoma, or closed-angle glaucoma, is an eye condition where the iris bulges out and blocks the iridocorneal angle, resulting in a buildup of aqueous humor and increased intraocular pressure. Immediate medical attention is necessary due to the sudden onset of symptoms. The treatment for angle-closure glaucoma includes short-term and long-term approaches. Short-term treatment involves using eye drops like pilocarpine to lower intraocular pressure by increasing aqueous humor...
1.2K