Visual function, age-related maculopathy stage and the subsequent development of age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between baseline psychophysical measures ofvisual function in age-related maculopathy (ARM) and the subsequent development ofadvanced visual loss from age-related macular degeneration.Methods: 36 participants (aged 52-85yrs) with early ARM and good acuity (≤ 0.3 logMAR) inthe study eye and advanced AMD in the fellow eye underwent a battery of psychophysicaltests at baseline examination (logMAR acuity, Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity, photopicand scotopic interferometric acuity, achromatic and short-wavelength-sensitive (SWS)resolution acuity). Stereoscopic colour fundus photographs were graded using theWisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System (WARMGS) and features of ARMwere combined to assign a severity stage from 0 to 5 using the methods described bythe Rotterdam Eye Study. Participants clinical records were examined for a period ofup to 5 years from baseline, with participants being divided into two groups based onwhether or not the study eye lost a significant amount of visual acuity (greater than 3lines of logMAR acuity) in this follow-up period.Results: 8 participants suffered a significant drop in visual acuity during follow-up, while26 participants did not. There was no significant difference in age (M=73.4 vs 71.9yrs;p=0.63) or follow-up time (M=34.2 vs 28.5mths; p=0.34) between these two groups.Achromatic and SWS resolution acuity were both significantly reduced at baseline inthose subjects who developed a significant loss in visual acuity compared to those whodid not (p