Do measures of vision loss predict everyday difficulties in glaucoma?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do clinical measures of visual field loss predict the everyday difficulties faced by people with glaucoma?
IRAS ID
348077
Contact name
David P Crabb
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
City St George's, University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible vision loss, often affects peripheral vision first and can progress to severe impairment or blindness. The aim of glaucoma care is to preserve vision and quality of life, as sight is highly valued (Enoch et al., 2019), and its loss is linked to depression and reduced mobility (Carabellese et al., 1993; Willis et al., 2012). While vision loss severity generally correlates with quality-of-life impact, this relationship is less clear in glaucoma due to its slow progression (Lisboa et al., 2013) and varied patterns of vision loss (e.g., central vs. peripheral, superior vs. inferior) (Mangione et al., 1998). Different visual tasks rely on specific regions of the visual field, such as reading speed being affected by inferior left visual field loss (Burton et al., 2015) and near activities linked to superior field loss (Cheng et al., 2015).
This study aims to quantify the association between the amount and distribution of vision loss (e.g., central vs peripheral) and the types/amounts of everyday vision-related difficulties faced by people with glaucoma. This is a non-interventional, cross-sectional pilot study. Phase 1 will involve posting study packs (containing consent forms, information sheets, and Questionnaire Part A, which measures vision-related quality of life) to n=900 glaucoma patients scheduled to attend routine follow-ups in the Glaucoma Clinic at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. In Phase 2, a subset of patients (n=150) who consent in Phase 1 will be asked to perform a tablet-based visual search task and complete Questionnaire Part B, measuring quality of life and use of digital technology, while waiting for their appointment (~20 mins total). Clinical measures of vision loss, including visual field results, will be extracted post hoc from all consenting patients’ records.REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/PR/1497
Date of REC Opinion
29 Jan 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion