The Eger Macular Stressometer: pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the sensitivity of the Eger Macular Stressometer (EMS) for early screening of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a clinical practice. We examined the null hypothesis that AMD eyes have EMS recovery times (RTs) that do not differ from eyes with cataract, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma.


METHODS
The design of this study was a nonrandomized clinical trial.


METHODS
Ninety-two eyes from 92 patients with vision 20/80 or better, age 50 and older, of either gender, and any ethnic origin, were recruited into one of four groups: AMD (30 eyes), normal or mild cataract (30 eyes), diabetic retinopathy (16 eyes), and glaucoma (16 eyes). Recovery times were obtained with the EMS, according to manufacturer's instructions.


RESULTS
The mean (SD) [median] RT for the AMD group was 11.8 (7.6) [9] seconds, the normal/cataract group 10.0 (4.3) [9] seconds, the diabetic retinopathy group 8.4 (3.0) [8] seconds, and glaucoma group 8.6 (2.4) [8] seconds. Recovery time did not appear to be related to group (P =.58), age (P =.50), visual acuity (P =.52), or sex (P =.23).


CONCLUSIONS
We found EMS RT distributions did not differ between AMD, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma groups. The EMS in its current form is not a sensitive screening tool for AMD. Further testing is needed to examine EMS sensitivity with other macular diseases such as central serous choroidopathy and diabetic macular edema.
Schmitt
Nicholas J
NJ
University of Rochester Department of Ophthalmology, Rochester, New York 14642, USA.
Grover
Donald A
DA
Feldon
Steven E
SE
D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000503:physiopathology; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity