Screening for Patients with Mild Alzheimer Disease Using Frequency Doubling Technology Perimetry

Abstract

We compared the visual field performances of patients with mild Alzheimer disease (AD) with normal subjects and detected visual field impairment attributable to the magnocellular pathway using frequency doubling technology—Matrix (FDT-Matrix). We recruited 43 patients with mild AD (mean age: 68.0 ± 7.2 years) and 33 controls who are visually and cognitively normal (mean age: 64.1 ± 6.4 years). All participants had at least two reliable FDT-Matrix 30-2 tests. Reliability indices, global indices (mean deviation and pattern standard deviation), and glaucoma hemifield test results were measured with FDT-Matrix. The mean test duration was significantly longer in patient group compared with controls (p = 0.002). Among the reliability indices, false negatives were higher in patient group than controls (p = 0.003). There were statistically significant differences in mean deviation and pattern standard deviation values (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, respectively) and glaucoma hemifield test results (p < 0.001) between the patient and the control group. Our results imply that the pathogenesis of cognitive deterioration may not only be confined to the cortical area but also to the magnocellular pathway. We underline that FDT testing can be useful for the identification of early impairment and the follow-up of patients with AD.

• Alzheimer disease
• frequency doubling technology
• magnocellular pathway
• visual field tests

Acknowledgements

Statistical analyses of the data were performed by MeStACon (Medical Statistics and Analysis Consultancy System), SBB Consulting GmbH, Vienna.

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Notes

¹This study was presented as a poster in American Academy of Ophthalmology and Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology Joint Meeting, in Chicago, Illinois, USA, October 16–19, 2010.