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Longitudinal Study with PHP

26/03/2008

 

Longitudinal Study provides evidence that monitoring AMD patients with the PHP detects neovascular AMD (wet AMD) when patients are asymptomatic prior to vision loss

ARVO presentation to outline technology’s effectiveness

 

MINNEAPOLIS – (March 2008) – New research to be presented at the 2008 ARVO meeting bolsters previous evidence of the effectiveness of preferential hyperacuity perimetry (PHP) in detecting wet AMD when patients are still asymptomatic. The Carotenoids in age-related macular degeneration (CARMA) is a bi-centre clinical trial which enrolled patients with early AMD in at least one eye between 2004 and 2007 at the Queen’s University of Belfast and the Department of Ophthalmology , Waterford General Hospital.   The study included a nested analysis of the usefulness of PHP in detecting conversion of patients with early AMD to late AMD and concluded that the technology was very effective. This  research supports previous studies, which have shown PHP to be highly sensitive in detecting central distortion due to neovascular AMD. The results of this study will be presented at the ARVO Annual Meeting on Monday, April 28.

            The CARMA trial was initiated to examine the benefits of two supplemental minerals Lutein and Zeaxanthin that were not included in the AREDS formula. PHP testing was included in the battery of functional tests from July 2006 on participants attending at the Belfast study site.   During this period, nine participants experienced a conversion to neovascular AMD.  PHP testing detected abnormalities in eight of these nine , six of whom had not experienced any symptoms.  In addition, in a randomly selected control group of CARMA patients who did not develop late AMD, PHP was negative showing the absence of false positives.

 The PHP is an automated perimetry test that tests hyperacuity function to map abnormalities in the macular visual field associated with early changes associated with wet AMD.

            The test  lasts 3-5 min. measuring 500 retinal data points covering the central 14 degrees of the macular visual field. The response patterns are automatically recorded, analyzed and compared to the normative database of dry and wet AMD patients, producing a visual field map and report revealing the relative location and defects intensity in the macular area.

“The CARMA study results confirms what we’ve seen in a number of other studies and in clinical practice,” said Yair Alster, MD, Chief Technology Officer at Notal Vision Ltd. in Tel Aviv, Isreal and the inventor of the Foresee PHP^™. “PHP testing is highly effective at early detection of  CNV, and often detects abnormalities before patients perceive any changes in their vision. By recommending quarterly PHP testing to at-risk patients, clinicians can diagnose advanced AMD sooner and improve the visual outcome of their patients following treatment”

The ARVO meeting will also showcase four studies on the next generation of the PHP device, a home based device for patient use to be introduced in early 2009.

 

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