The National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire in the Macular Telangiectasia (MacTel) Project.
OBJECTIVE
To describe vision-targeted health-related quality of life (HR-QOL), measured with the National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) in a cohort of patients with macular telangiectasia (MacTel) type 2 and to evaluate the relationship between visual acuity and NEI-VFQ-25 scores.


METHODS
This was an analysis of cross-sectional baseline data from a longitudinal natural history study. Patients with MacTel type 2 were enrolled in the Natural History Study of The Macular Telangiectasia Project (The MacTel Project). NEI-VFQ-25 were completed at enrollment. Linear correlation and regression analyses were used to relate baseline NEI-VFQ-25 overall and subscale scores to visual acuity.


RESULTS
Participants reported lower vision-related functioning measured by the NEI-VFQ-25 in most of the domains measured by the NEI VFQ compared with that of a normal reference group (P < 0.001 for all domains except color vision). Visual acuity was found to be associated with the NEI-VFQ-25 in many of the domains measuring degree of difficulty with common visual activities.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first cross-sectional cohort study to assess vision targeted HR-QOL in patients with MacTel type 2. Patients with MacTel type 2 reported markedly reduced visual functioning compared to reports of a normal reference group. These findings provide support to the use of the NEI-VFQ-25 in patients with MacTel type 2 to measure the effect of disease and potential therapies on vision-targeted HR-QOL.
Clemons
Traci E
TE
The EMMES Corporation, Rockville, Maryland 20850-1707, USA. tclemons@emmes.com
Gillies
Mark C
MC
Chew
Emily Y
EY
Bird
Alan C
AC
Peto
Tunde
T
Figueroa
Maria
M
Harrington
Molly W
MW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009316:National Institutes of Health (U.S.); D009885:Ophthalmology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013684:Telangiectasis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014481:United States; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*