title: The National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire in the Macular Telangiectasia (MacTel) Project.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: The EMMES Corporation, Rockville, Maryland 20850-1707, USA. tclemons@emmes.com
authors.forename: Traci E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Clemons
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gillies
authors.forename: Emily Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: Tunde
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peto
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Figueroa
authors.forename: Molly W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Harrington
mesh_terms: 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*