Diurnal rhythms in macular degeneration

A retrospective clinical study on the sleeping habits of patients with macular degeneration was conducted to test the hypothesis that alterations in cone outer segment shedding cycles might be important in the pathogenesis of this disease. No significant difference in number of hours of sleep per night, frequency of nighttime awakening, or frequency of daytime napping was found between patients with macular degeneration and controls. This finding does not support the hypothesis at this level of inquiry. Because cone outer segment shedding is cyclical, other studies of diurnal rhythms in these subjects may be rewarding.