Progression of Early Atrophic Lesions in Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
University of Utah
Summary
Early atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents an important time window in the course of so far untreatable atrophic AMD, as patients typically experience only some degree of visual dysfunction, while being at significant risk for marked further loss of vision. To allow the precise evaluation of upcoming therapeutic interventions, a better understanding of the manifestation and variable disease progression is needed. This project aims to investigate refined tools to detect and monitor early atrophic AMD more accurately, including the impact on visual dysfunction and quality of life.
Description
The investigators will focus on a previously largely under-explored but highly relevant time window in progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), i.e., 'early atrophic AMD'. We postulate that a therapeutic effect in early atrophic AMD would probably save a large proportion of patients from progressive visual function loss and that it seems more justifiable to risk interventions in this time window than in earlier AMD stages. Against this background, a comprehensive knowledge of the natural disease progression in this potential therapeutic margin is essential. We will implement inno…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 50+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Males and females aged 50 years and older of all ethnicities. * Study eye with at least one early atrophic lesion defined as: * incomplete retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and outer retinal atrophy (iRORA) (region of signal hypertransmission into the choroid, corresponding zone of attenuation or disruption of the RPE, and evidence of overlying photoreceptor degeneration that is, subsidence of the inner nuclear layer (INL) and outer plexiform layer (OPL), presence of a hyporeflective wedge in the Henle fiber layer (HFL), thinning of the outer nuclear layer (ONL), disrupti…
Interventions
- OtherNo intervention
There is no intervention.
Location
- University of UtahSalt Lake City, Utah