Visual function alterations in age-related macular degeneration V1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Visual function alterations in age-related macular degeneration: the role of post-receptor processing and retinal oxygenation
IRAS ID
209493
Contact name
Claire Gorman
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Plymouth University
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 4 months, 23 days
Research summary
Age-related macular degeneration(AMD) is the biggest cause of sight loss in the developed world. The affects can be devastating for the patient. Dry AMD progression can lead to a complete loss of central vision and unfortunately there is currently no successful treatment for this condition. Understanding how it develops and how we detect it in the early stages could be a huge step in developing a treatment plan.
This study will aim to explore how visual processing in the post-receptor region of the retina is altered in the course of AMD development and whether the cause for any such alterations is related to a lack of oxygen supply to the retinal tissue. The post-receptor region has been suggested to be an initial site of damage in AMD and exploring the changes in this area could provide a valuable insight into AMD pathogenesis.
Participants with and without diagnosis of AMD will be invited to carry out a battery of targeted visual function tests and to undergo retinal imaging to determine their retinal vessel oxygen content. The visual function tests will be carefully designed to tap the receptors and processes that rely on the post-receptor region of the retina. This design will allow testing of the hypothesis that subtle alterations in visual function, which are known to occur at the earliest stages of AMD, develop as a result of damage to visual processing mechanisms in the post-receptor region of the retina, as a result of reduced oxygen supply. The receptors to be targeted are the rods and S-cones, which have previously been shown to be preferentially damaged in AMD. With this insight it may be possible to design new visual tests to aid in identifying the stage of AMD as well as develop treatments to prevent or slow down progression of this disease.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1855
Date of REC Opinion
19 Oct 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion