Optimization of detection of glaucoma and glaucoma progression, and development of a personalized structure-function map for facilitating individualized diagnosis

• Applicant: Dr. Julia Lamparter
• Subject Area: Ophthalmology
• Term: from 2010 to 2013
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 174656239

Glaucoma, characterized by retinal ganglion cell loss, leads to visual field defects and visual impairment. It is one of the most common causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. The main risk factor for development of glaucoma is elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). But elevated IOP does not necessarily lead to glaucoma. ‘Ocular hypertension’ stands for an elevated IOP without any detectable structural or functional deficits. Patients with ocular hypertension carry a risk of conversion to glaucoma. Methods for combined detection of structural and functional defects that lead to the diagnosis of glaucoma, for recognizing progression and for predicting conversion have not been sufficient up to now. What has been missing is an objective, early and combined method considering individual varieties between the eyes of different individuals. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a non-invasive objective technique that allows high resolution in vivo imaging of retinal structures. It is the aim of this project to determine the spatial relationship between nerve fibre defects imaged with SD-OCT and functional defects identified in standard automated white-on-white perimetry in patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Succeeding to this a personalized structure/function map based on both methods can then be generated specifically for each individual‘s particular parameters. This can aid the interpretation of quantitative data and provide the possibility of earlier and more reliable diagnosis of glaucoma and glaucoma progression.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: United Kingdom
• Host: Dr. David F. Garway-Heath