Association Between Undetected 10-2 Visual Field Damage and Vision-Related Quality of Life in Patients With Glaucoma

Abstract

Glaucoma is characterized by progressive structural and functional damage to the optic nerve complex and is a leading cause of irreversible visual impairment in the United States¹ and worldwide.^2,3 The disease has traditionally been thought to affect midperipheral visual function in its early stages and to gradually progress to loss of central visual function only in late stages of the disease process. Even with well-maintained central vision, patients with glaucoma are more likely to experience driving and mobility difficulties.^4-6 Likewise, several studies have demonstrated an association between severity of visual field defects, as detected on standard automated perimetry (SAP) of the central 30° of vision (24-2 test), and vision-related quality of life (QOL), as measured by the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25).⁷ In general, studies suggest that vision-related QOL decreases as visual field loss worsens, with the greatest rate of change in the driving-related visual domain.⁷ However, despite the significance of these findings, the magnitude of the associations between visual field status and NEI VFQ-25 scores remain modest.