title: Reading speed improvements in retinal vein occlusion after ranibizumab treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Treatment of macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion with ranibizumab has been shown to improve visual acuity compared with macular laser or observation. It is important to determine whether these visual acuity improvements translate into measurable improvements in visual function.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the benefit of ranibizumab (Lucentis) on measured reading speed, a direct performance assessment, through 6 months in eyes of patients with macular edema after retinal vein occlusion (RVO). DESIGN Two multicenter, double-masked, phase 3 trials in which participants with macular edema after branch RVO or central RVO were randomized 1:1:1 to monthly sham, ranibizumab, 0.3 mg, or ranibizumab, 0.5 mg, for 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community- and academic-based ophthalmology practices specializing in retinal diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven hundred eighty-nine eyes of 789 participants who were at least aged 18 years with macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion in the branch vein occlusion (BRAVO) and central vein occlusion (CRUISE) trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eyes were randomized 1:1:1 to 1 of 3 groups for monthly injections for 6 months: sham (132 in BRAVO and 130 in CRUISE), intravitreal ranibizumab, 0.3 mg (134 in BRAVO and 132 in CRUISE), and intravitreal ranibizumab, 0.5 mg (131 in BRAVO and 130 in CRUISE). Patients were able to receive macular laser after 3 months if they met prespecified criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reading speed in the study eye was measured with enlarged text (letter size equivalent to approximately 20/1500 at the test distance) at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months. The number of correctly read words per minute (wpm) was reported. The reading speed test requires a sixth-grade reading level and does not account for literacy or cognitive state. RESULTS In patients with branch RVO, the mean gain for the 0.5-mg group was 31.3 wpm compared with 15.0 wpm in sham-treated eyes (difference, 16.3 wpm; P = .007) at 6 months. In patients with central RVO, the mean gain for the 0.5-mg group was 20.5 wpm compared with 8.1 wpm in sham-treated eyes (difference, 12.4 wpm; P = .01) at 6 months. A gain of 15 or more letters of best-corrected visual acuity letter score corresponded to an increase in reading speed of 12.3 wpm and 15.8 wpm in patients with branch and central RVO, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that patients with macular edema after RVO treated monthly with ranibizumab are more likely to have improvements in reading speed of the affected eyes through 6 months compared with sham treatment. These results demonstrate the relevance of the treatment benefit to functional visual gain.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00486018 and NCT00485836.
authors.affiliation: Retina Associates of Florida, Tampa, FL 33609, USA. ivansuner@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ivan J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Suñer
authors.forename: Neil M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Bressler
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chantal M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Dolan
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Shoshana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colman
authors.forename: Roman G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Rubio
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D000069579:Ranibizumab; D011932:Reading; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000069579:Ranibizumab