Does cryotherapy of the far peripheral retina affect visual function?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The PAPeRS study: Psychophysical Assessment of the Peripheral Retina in Sticklers
IRAS ID
225123
Contact name
Peter B M Thomas
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Addenbrooke’s is the national diagnostic centre for the Stickler syndromes, a group of hereditary disorders that cause giant retinal tears, leading to retinal detachment and blindness. The current recommended prophylaxis is cryotherapy to the far peripheral retina, which significantly reduces risk of retinal detachment. It is not known whether this preventative retinal treatment has any significant effect on the patient’s everyday life. Indeed, the normal role of the extreme peripheral retina in healthy patients has been very little studied.
The Cambridge University vision science lab will provide the psychophysical expertise to measure function, primarily motion detection, of the far peripheral retina. This will be achieved through testing the subject's ability to see visual stimuli presented on a computer screen placed far in their extreme peripheral visual field. Defining function that might be lost following the sight-preserving cryotherapy treatment will help shape the informed consent process for future patients. It will also shed light on the normal function of this little-studied region of retina.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0298
Date of REC Opinion
31 Jul 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion