Phu J, Tan J, Kalloniatis M. Multiple (frontloaded) visual field tests increase identification of very slow mean deviation progression in glaucoma.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 2023:S0008-4182(23)00246-6. [PMID:
37652089 DOI:
10.1016/j.jcjo.2023.07.023]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of frontloading (multiple) visual field (VF) tests at the same visit for detecting mean deviation (MD) change in slowly progressive glaucoma.
METHODS
This was a computer simulation study. Baseline MD (range, 0 to -12 dB) and progression rate (range, 0 to -0.4 dB/year, non-inclusive) were generated for 10,000 patients. Each patient had 6 simulated "stable" baseline VF tests. Then follow-up VFs (up to 10 years) were generated by incorporating progression rate and within-visit and between-visit variability. The independent variables were number of VF tests per visit (one non-frontloaded or two frontloaded), VF reliability (100%, 85%, or 70%), repeat testing because of unreliable results (yes or no), and follow-up interval (6-monthly or yearly). The outcomes were detection of progression (MD slope that was negative and significant at p < 0.05), MD at detection, and number of years to detection.
RESULTS
Frontloading identified more progressors (62.7%-79.2%) compared with non-frontloading (31.0%-36.7%) at 10 years (p < 0.0001). Six-monthly follow-ups led to greater detection than yearly intervals. Progressors detected by both methods were detected by the non-frontloaded method sooner (up to 0.26 years), but this was small and not clinically significant (MD difference, 0.06 dB). An increase (less severe) in MD, an increase (slower) in progression rate, and an increase in SD of baseline VFs decreased the likelihood of detecting progression.
CONCLUSIONS
Frontloading VF tests at 6-monthly intervals improve detection rates of MD progression in slowly progressive glaucoma patients compared with performing 1 test per visit at yearly intervals.
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