Research & Evaluation of Area-Modulation Perimetry (REVAMP) v.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Novel perimetry for identifying changes in visual field sensitivity in glaucoma
IRAS ID
298826
Contact name
Tony Redmond
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Glaucoma, a chronic, progressive, age-related degeneration of retinal ganglion cells, is characterised by a slow, irreversible loss of visual field. It is the world's leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting approximately 500,000 people in England and Wales, and 80 million people worldwide. With an ageing population, prevalence of glaucoma is rising. The peripheral visual field is slowly lost first, often going unnoticed by patients until advanced stages of the disease.
Perimetry, the clinical method for identifying visual field loss involves presenting stimuli (spots of light) of fixed area, varying in brightness, to the retina and measuring the dimmest one that can be detected at multiple locations in the field. However, the current standard perimetry test was designed >40 years ago, before the pathophysiology of glaucoma was understood. Arbitrarily designed stimuli (imported from its predecessor, Goldmann kinetic perimetry, when tests became more automated) and high associated measurement variability make it difficult to identify glaucomatous loss in the first instance and detect signs of progression. In fact, it can take many years of repeated measures to identify even moderate rates of deterioration. There is a timely need to investigate alternative stimulus forms and test strategies with 40 years of knowledge and understanding from basic science (physiological, psychophysical) and clinical studies, to ascertain the likelihood that we can detect visual loss sooner, treat sooner, and improve prognosis for vision.
In this non-invasive, basic science project, we wish to investigate the performance characteristics of alternative types of stimulus and mathematical procedures for determining stimulus presentation routines in patients with glaucoma and age-similar healthy controls.
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/PR/0241
Date of REC Opinion
19 Apr 2022
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion