title: Relationships between visual field sensitivity and spectral absorption properties of the neuroretinal rim in glaucoma by multispectral imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between neuroretinal rim (NRR) differential light absorption (DLA, a measure of spectral absorption properties) and visual field (VF) sensitivity in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients diagnosed with (n = 22) or suspected of having (n = 7) POAG were imaged with a multispectral system incorporating a modified digital fundus camera, 250-W tungsten-halogen lamp, and fast-tuneable liquid crystal filter. Five images were captured sequentially within 1.0 second at wavelengths selected according to absorption properties of hemoglobin (range, 570-610 nm), and a Beer-Lambert law model was used to produce DLA maps of residual NRR from the images. Patients also underwent VF testing. Differences in NRR DLA in vertically opposing 180° and 45° sectors either side of the horizontal midline were compared with corresponding differences in VF sensitivity on both decibel and linear scales by Spearman's rank correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The decibel VF sensitivity scale showed significant relationships between superior-inferior NRR DLA difference and sensitivity differences between corresponding VF areas in 180° NRR sectors (Spearman ρ = 0.68; P < 0.0001), superior-/inferior-temporal 45° NRR sectors (ρ = 0.57; P < 0.002), and superior-/inferior-nasal 45° NRR sectors (ρ = 0.59; P < 0.001). Using the linear VF sensitivity scale significant relationships were found for 180° NRR sectors (ρ = 0.62; P < 0.0002) and superior-inferior-nasal 45° NRR sectors (ρ = 0.53; P < 0.002). No significant difference was found between correlations using the linear or decibel VF sensitivity scales.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Residual NRR DLA is related to VF sensitivity in POAG. Multispectral imaging may provide clinically important information for the assessment and management of POAG.
authors: Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Denniss
authors: Ingo
authors: I
authors: Schiessl
authors: Vincent
authors: V
authors: Nourrit
authors: Cecilia H
authors: CH
authors: Fenerty
authors: Ramesh
authors: R
authors: Gautam
authors: David B
authors: DB
authors: Henson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008027:Light; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D010781:Photography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D058609:Visual Field Tests / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*