Development of a device to measure dark adaptation v0.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A new instrument for the early detection and monitoring of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
IRAS ID
131367
Contact name
Ian J Murray
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Research summary
Age Related Macular Disease (AMD) is easily the leading cause of blindness in older people in developed countries. It affects between 30 and 50 million individuals worldwide, with around 30% of the over 65’s showing early signs of the disease. Severe AMD has a devastating impact on the quality of life; it causes extensive visual impairment, making reading difficult and driving impossible. Patients lose their independence and become a major burden on public health systems.
Present treatment options are limited. Many new therapies are under development and all will need evaluation using a test with high specificity and sensitivity for early AMD. The present application will develop such an instrument. The prototype was funded by a previous i4i feasibility study (ll-FS-0110-14036). The new device measures sensitivity to a dim flickering light using the same principle as an established CE marked instrument(DeviceDetails_Final.pdf). The original method involved lights of different wavelengths and higher intensities.The instrument in this study assesses night vision, which is selectively damaged in early stage AMD. In low lighting, our vision depends on specialized rod photoreceptors. Cone photoreceptors, which provide daytime vision, remain normal in the early stages of the disease. By the time patients complain of reduced (cone-based) visual acuity, they will have had the disease for many years and lost many thousands of photoreceptors.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NW/0210
Date of REC Opinion
27 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion