Decreased Central Macular Choriocapillaris Perfusion Correlates With Increased Low Luminance Visual Acuity Deficits

Mengxi Shen; Jianqing Li; Yingying Shi; Qinqin Zhang; Ziyu Liu; Hao Zhou; Jie Lu; Yuxuan Cheng; Zhongdi Chu; Xiao Zhou; Jeremy Liu; Xiaoshuang Jiang; Liang Wang; Rita Laiginhas; Luis de Sisternes; Elizabeth A Vanner; William J Feuer; Ruikang K Wang; Giovanni Gregori; Philip J Rosenfeld

doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2023.04.011

Decreased Central Macular Choriocapillaris Perfusion Correlates With Increased Low Luminance Visual Acuity Deficits

Am J Ophthalmol. 2023 Sep:253:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2023.04.011. Epub 2023 May 2.

Authors

Mengxi Shen¹, Jianqing Li¹, Yingying Shi¹, Qinqin Zhang², Ziyu Liu³, Hao Zhou³, Jie Lu³, Yuxuan Cheng³, Zhongdi Chu³, Xiao Zhou³, Jeremy Liu¹, Xiaoshuang Jiang¹, Liang Wang¹, Rita Laiginhas¹, Luis de Sisternes², Elizabeth A Vanner¹, William J Feuer¹, Ruikang K Wang⁴, Giovanni Gregori¹, Philip J Rosenfeld⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology (M.S., J.L., Y.S., J.L., X.J., L.W., R.L., E.A.V., W.J.F., G.G., P.J.R.), Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
² Research and Development (Q.Z., L.D.), Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, California, USA.
³ Department of Bioengineering (Z. L., H.Z., J.L., Y.C., Z.C., X.Z., R.K.W.), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
⁴ Department of Bioengineering (Z. L., H.Z., J.L., Y.C., Z.C., X.Z., R.K.W.), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Ophthalmology (R.K.W.), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
⁵ Department of Ophthalmology (M.S., J.L., Y.S., J.L., X.J., L.W., R.L., E.A.V., W.J.F., G.G., P.J.R.), Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA. Electronic address: prosenfeld@miami.edu.

PMID: 37142175
PMCID: PMC10626399 (available on 2024-09-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2023.04.011

Abstract

Purpose: Correlations between low luminance visual acuity deficits (LLVADs) and central choriocapillaris perfusion deficits were investigated to help explain how increases in LLVAD scores at baseline predict annual growth rates of geographic atrophy (GA).

Design: Prospective cross-sectional study.

Methods: Photopic luminance best-corrected visual acuity (PL-BCVA) and low luminance BCVA (LL-BCVA) were measured using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart. LL-BCVA was measured using a 2.0-log unit neutral density filter. LLVADs were calculated as the difference between PL-BCVA and LL-BCVA. Within a fovea-centered 1-mm circle, the percentage of choriocapillaris flow deficits (CC FD%), drusen volume, optical attenuation coefficient (OAC) elevation volume, and outer retinal layer (ORL) thickness were assessed.

Results: In all 90 eyes (30 normal eyes; 31 drusen-only eyes; 29 non-foveal GA eyes), significant correlations were found between the central CC FD% and PL-BCVA (r = -0.393, P < .001), LL-BCVA (r = -0.534, P < .001), and the LLVAD (r = 0.439, P < .001). Central cube root (cubrt) drusen volume, cubrt OAC elevation volume, and ORL thickness were correlated with PL-BCVA, LL-BCVA, and LLVADs (all P < .05). Stepwise regression models showed that central cubrt OAC elevation volume and ORL thickness were associated with PL-BCVA (R² = 0.24, P < .05); central CC FD%, cubrt OAC elevation volume, and ORL thickness were associated with LL-BCVA (R² = 0.44, P < .01); and central CC FD% and ORL thickness were associated with LLVAD (R² = 0.24, P < .01).

Conclusions: The significant correlations between central CC FD% and LLVAD support the hypothesis that the ability of LLVAD to predict the growth of GA is mediated through a decrease in macular choriocapillaris perfusion.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Choroid*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Perfusion
Prospective Studies
Tomography, Optical Coherence
Vision Disorders*
Visual Acuity

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding