Impact of Glaucoma and Visual Field Loss on Life Space

The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Primary Open-angle Glaucoma

Treatments: Other: Questionnaires

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03673644

5P30AG022838-14 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

IRB-300001552

Details and patient eligibility

About

Mobility refers to a person's purposeful movement through the environment from one place to another and can be conceptualized as a continuum from bed bound (immobility) on one extreme to making excursions to distant locations on the other extreme. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a chronic, progressive optic neuropathy that can lead to gradual loss of vision in the peripheral field and central vision. Older adults with POAG have an increased risk for motor vehicle collisions and falls. Moreover, existing studies suggest that patients with POAG exhibit more postural sway while standing as measured by a balance platform and also tend to walk more slowly than those who are normally sighted and free of ocular disease. While these disturbances likely influence mobility, there has been little research directly assessing the impact of POAG on mobility. This study will assess the impact of POAG on life space (one aspect of mobility) and will determine whether difficulties with life space are associated with difficulties experienced under conditions of dim lighting.

Full description

Aim 1: To examine the extent of life space in older adults with POAG using the Life Space Questionnaire and to examine whether life space in persons with POAG is associated with the magnitude of visual field impairment.

Aim 2: To examine difficulties seeing under dim illumination and at night in older adults with POAG using the Low Luminance Questionnaire and to examine whether greater difficulty in seeing under dim illumination and at night is related to the magnitude of visual field loss.

Aim 3: To examine the relationship in older adults with POAG between visual problems seeing under dim illumination and at night (Low Luminance Questionnaire) and their life space (Life Space Questionnaire).

Enrollment: 88 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Clinical diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma
• Best-corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better
• Spherical refraction within ± 5 Diopters
• Cylinder refraction within ± 3 Diopters

Exclusion criteria

• History of intra-ocular surgery other than uncomplicated cataract or glaucoma surgery
• Significant cognitive impairment

Trial design

88 participants in 1 patient group

Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma

Description:

Two following two questionnaires will be administered: 1. Life Space Questionnaire: This 9-item questionnaire is interested in finding out how much a person gets out and about and the spatial extent of the person's typical life space, i.e., what is the usual range of places in which the person engages in activities within the designated time frame. 2. Low Luminance Questionnaire: This 32-item questionnaire is interested in finding out problems that involve vision under different lighting conditions or feelings that people have about your vision under different lighting conditions.

Treatment:

Other: Questionnaires