0000000000269945
AUTHOR
Pasi Vottonen
Visual processing in patients with age-related macular degeneration performing a face detection test
Purpose: People with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) have difficulties in familiar face recognition and facial expression discrimination. Our aim was to evaluate the visual processing of faces in AMD patients and whether this would be improved by anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy. This was a prospective interventional cohort study. Patients: Twelve patients with monocular wet AMD and 6 control subjects were recruited. Face detection processes were studied using cortical event-related potentials (ERPs). Patients received 3 bevacizumab intravitreal injections to the single affected eye. At baseline and 4–6 weeks after the last injection, clinical presentation and ERPs of …
Changes in neurophysiologic markers of visual processing following beneficial anti-VEGF treatment in macular degeneration
Pasi Vottonen,1 Kai Kaarniranta,1,2 Ari Pääkkönen,3 Ina M Tarkka41Department of Ophthalmology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; 3Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; 4Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FinlandPurpose: Antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents have been shown to improve visual acuity and prevent vision loss in exudative age-related macular degeneration. As the vision im…
Evidence of neuroplasticity in the human visual cortex following beneficial anti-VEGF treatment in exudative age-related macular degeneration
Purpose Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents have been shown to improve visual acuity and prevent vision loss in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD). As the vision improves relatively quickly in response to intravitreal injections, we wanted to know whether this improvement is reflected in electrophysiolocal markers of visual cortical processing. Methods Our interventional case series included 6 elderly patients who underwent injection treatment to the affected eye. Their visual acuity, tomographic images of retinal thickness and visual evoked potentials (VEP) were assessed before of the treatment and six weeks after the last injection. Results All patients sho…
Best-corrected visual acuity and retinal thickness are associated with improved cortical visual processing in treated wet AMD patients
Purpose In response to anti-VEGF treatment for wet AMD retinal anatomy and visual acuity is often remedied. In our previous study, we showed that visual evoked potentials (VEP) improve following successful anti-VEGF treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate, how visual acuity and retinal thickness changes are reflected in VEP parameters. Moreover, we wanted to assess the feasibility of VEP as a novel monitoring tool for wet AMD patients. Methods A total of 16 patients and six control subjects were enrolled in this study. Patients received three bevacizumab intravitreal injections. At the beginning of the study and four to 6 weeks after the last injection, the best-corrected visual…