Impact of symptomatic vitreous degeneration on photopic and mesopic contrast thresholds

Ankamah, Emmanuel and Green-Gomez, Marina and Roche, Warren and Ng, Eugene and Welge-Lüβen, Ulrich and Kaercher, Thomas and Barbur, John and Nolan, John M. (2022) Impact of symptomatic vitreous degeneration on photopic and mesopic contrast thresholds. Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 105 (6). pp. 609-616. ISSN 0816-4622

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Abstract

Clinical relevance: Contrast thresholds under photopic and mesopic luminance conditions are compromised in subjects with vitreous degeneration. A plausible explanation is needed for the visual discomfort expressed by patients suffering from symptomatic vitreous degeneration. Background: The current study investigates the effect of symptomatic vitreous degeneration on photopic and mesopic contrast at high spatial frequencies. Methods: An age-matched sample of 115 subjects, comprising 30 subjects with symptomatic vitreous floaters (cases) and 85 healthy subjects (controls), was included in this study. Visual acuity and flicker thresholds were measured for all participants. Photopic and mesopic functional contrast thresholds at 10 cycles per degree were measured for all participants to assess the effect of floaters on contrast. Further, to determine the effect of posterior vitreous detachment on contrast, the sample was divided into three groups: cases with posterior vitreous detachment (n = 12); cases without posterior vitreous detachment (n = 18); and controls (n = 85), and their contrast thresholds were compared. Results: Photopic and mesopic contrast thresholds were lower by 37.4% and 27.5%, respectively, when the cases were compared with the controls (p = 0.028 and p < 0.001 for photopic and mesopic contrast thresholds, respectively). Photopic contrast was lower by 64.0% in cases with posterior vitreous detachment compared with controls (p = 0.001). Compared with controls, mesopic contrast was lower in cases with posterior vitreous detachment and in cases without posterior vitreous detachment by 30.3% and 25.6%, respectively (p = 0.014 and p = 0.017 for cases with and without posterior vitreous detachment, respectively). Conclusion: : Subjects with vitreous degeneration have diminished photopic and mesopic contrast thresholds compared with controls. This finding highlights the negative impact of vitreous degeneration on the quality of vision.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Funding Information: This work was supported by the Waterford Institute of Technology & ebiga-VISION GmbH [WD_2017_43]. This work was funded by Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and ebiga-VISION GmbH through a WIT Co-Fund PhD scholarship (WD_2017_43). The sponsors had no role in the study design or in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data or in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. John Barbur is an inventor of AVOT tests (some of which were employed in this study); an employee of City, University of London; and a director of City Occupational Ltd (a City University spin-out company setup to manufacture and supply AVOT tests). All the other authors report no conflicts of interest and have no proprietary interest in any of the materials mentioned in this article. Funding Information: This work was funded by Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and ebiga-VISION GmbH through a WIT Co-Fund PhD scholarship (WD_2017_43). The sponsors had no role in the study design or in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data or in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the paper for publication. John Barbur is an inventor of AVOT tests (some of which were employed in this study); an employee of City, University of London; and a director of City Occupational Ltd (a City University spin-out company setup to manufacture and supply AVOT tests). All the other authors report no conflicts of interest and have no proprietary interest in any of the materials mentioned in this article. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2731
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Depositing User:	Admin SSL
Date Deposited:	19 Oct 2022 23:02
Last Modified:	16 Aug 2023 00:05
URI:	http://repository-testing.wit.ie/id/eprint/3725

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