title: Optic Nerve Head Blood Flow, as Measured by Laser Speckle Flowgraphy, Is Significantly Reduced in Preperimetric Glaucoma.
abstract: To compare optic nerve head (ONH) blood flow in healthy eyes, eyes with preperimetric glaucoma (PPG), and eyes with mild normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG).
  
  
  
  In 172 eyes (normal: 44 eyes; PPG: 62 eyes; mild NTG: 66 eyes), LSFG was used to measure mean blur rate in the ONH tissue area (MBRT), an index of capillary blood flow. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine factors affecting circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (cpRNFLT), mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD) of the visual field.
  
  
  
  Despite similar characteristics in age, refractive error and systemic variables among the study groups, MBRTin the normal eyes differed significantly from both the PPG and mild NTG eyes (P = 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). Multiple regression analysis revealed that MBRTwas an independent factor affecting cpRNFLT, MD and PSD (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.003, respectively).
  
  
  
  ONH blood flow was detectibly reduced in eyes with PPG, in close association with structural and visual field damage. This suggests that measuring ONH tissue-area blood flow with LSFG may be a useful way of monitoring glaucoma severity, even in the early stages of glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shiga
authors.affiliation: b Yasui Eye Clinic , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kunikata
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiyota
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maiya
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Omodaka
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: b Yasui Eye Clinic , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasui
authors.affiliation: c Kato Eye Center , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: d Tajimi Iwase Eye Clinic , Gifu , Japan.
authors.forename: Aiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwase
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.|e Department of Retinal Disease Control , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.|f Department of Advanced Ophthalmic Medicine , Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine , Miyagi , Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry / Q000379:methods*; D057066:Low Tension Glaucoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000098:blood supply*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014794:Visual Fields
keywords: Laser speckle flowgraphy; glaucoma; ocular blood flow; optic nerve head; preperimetric glaucoma