Combining vascular and nerve fiber layer thickness measurements to model glaucomatous focal visual field loss.

Abstract

We compare the focal structure-function correlation of structural measurements of peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL-T) using optical coherence tomography (OCT), capillary density (CD) measurements using OCT-angiography (OCT-A), or a combination of both, with visual field deviation (VFD) in early to advanced glaucoma. Primary open angle glaucoma patients (n = 46, mean ± SD age: 67 ± 10 years; VF mean deviation: -10.41 ± 6.76 dB) were included in this cross-sectional study. We performed 30-2 standard automated perimetry OCT (3.5-mm diameter ring scan) and 15°×15° OCT-A (superficial vascular complex slab). Based on a nerve fiber trajectory model, each VF test spot was assigned to an OCT-A wedge and an OCT ring-sector. Two univariate linear models (Mv and Mt ) using either CD-based vascular (Mv ) or RNFL-T-based thickness information (Mt ) and one multivariate model using both (Mv:t ) were compared in their associations with measured focal VFD, which were higher for the multivariate model Mv:t (mean ± SD correlation coefficient: 0.710 ± 0.086) than for either nested model (0.627 ± 0.078 for Mv and 0.578 ± 0.095 for Mt ). Using a focal visual field approach, the combination of RNFL-T and CD showed better structure-function correlations than thickness or vascular information only.

• Authors: Martin Kallab, Nikolaus Hommer, Andreas Schlatter, Jacqueline Chua, Bingyao Tan, Doreen Schmidl, Cornelia Hirn, Oliver Findl, Leopold Schmetterer, Gerhard Garhöfer, Damon Wong
• Journal: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (Ann N Y Acad Sci) Vol. 1511 Issue 1 Pg. 133-141 (05 2022) ISSN: 1749-6632 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 35029314 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of New York Academy of Sciences.

Topics

• Aged
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Glaucoma, Open-Angle
• Humans
• Middle Aged
• Nerve Fibers
• Retinal Ganglion Cells
• Tomography, Optical Coherence (methods)
• Vision Disorders
• Visual Field Tests (methods)
• Visual Fields