Assessing night time visual function
Difficulty seeing at night and being slow to adjust vision from light to dark environments are the most common visual symptoms of the early stages of AMD.
An MDFA grant enabled Associate Professor Chi Luu and co-investigator Professor Robyn Guymer to validate a new technology designed to test night vision and investigate how night vision is affected in early AMD.
A/Prof Luu received his MDFA Research Grant in 2015 while working for the Centre for Eye Research Australia. He received $200,000 over two years for the project, entitled ‘Static and dynamic retinal function topography – a unique dark adapted chromatic perimeter’.
A/Prof Luu developed a novel testing protocol that allows his team to assess night visual function from multiple locations in the retina.
Traditionally, this type of testing can only be performed at one location.
The study found that eyes with AMD have reduced night vision – worse in eyes with reticular pseudodrusen (RPD), especially at the central retina.
A/Prof Luu’s research sheds light on the pathophysiology of AMD and helps develop clinical tools for better characterising AMD and monitoring its progression.
Posted: July 2021. This article was first published in 10 Years of Research: Reflecting on the impact of investing into macular disease research.