New test detects early signs of AMD
Researchers have designed a new test that can spot the early stages of sight loss in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The research was funded by Fight for Sight and the Special Trustees of Moorfields Eye Hospital.
Professor Roger Anderson led the research team based at the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
AMD affects the macula which is a small, but extremely important area located at the centre of the retina, the light-sensing tissue that lines the back of the eye. It is responsible for seeing fine details clearly and we use it for reading and recognising faces. In the UK, more than half a million over-50s have a form of AMD, and the figure is set to rise as the population ages.
Most sight loss from AMD happens in the later stages. Until now, there has been no quick and reliable sight test that can detect the earliest changes in the retina in AMD.
To address the problem, the team invented a new test chart, called the Moorfields Acuity Chart (MAC). The test features letters created from fine black and white strips. However, unlike the standard chart, these two-coloured, high-spatial frequency letters appear to vanish when they are too small to be recognised.
Sir Peng Tee Khaw, Director of the NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre, said, “This marks a significant advancement in our ability to diagnose vision loss arising from the leading cause of sight loss in industrialised countries. This is exciting for us all as improved testing methods lead to better diagnosis and treatment development.”
The results are published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. The chart will be produced commercially under licence by Peter Allen and Associates and the team is currently preparing to assess the MAC chart’s performance in a larger clinical trial.
Notes to editors
Fight for Sight funds pioneering research to prevent sight loss and treat eye disease. Visit http://www.fightforsight.org.uk/
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology was established in April 2007 and awarded a second five-year term by the NIHR from April 2012. Its purpose is to conduct 'translational research' that is designed to take advances in basic medical research from the laboratory to the clinic, enabling patients to benefit more quickly from new scientific breakthroughs. Our centre is currently one of 11 biomedical research centres that were awarded in 2012 to NHS/university partnerships with an outstanding international reputation for medical research and expertise, and experience of translating that research into the clinical setting. For further information, please visitwww.brcophthalmology.org.
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the world’s leading eye hospitals, providing expertise in clinical care, research and education. We have provided excellence in eye care for more than 200 years and we continue to be at the forefront of new breakthroughs and developments. We are an integral part of one of the UK’s first academic health science centres, UCL Partners, and now we are part of one of the first science health networks. We were one of the first organisations to become an NHS foundation trust in 2004. For further information, please visitwww.moorfields.nhs.uk.
UCL Institute of Ophthalmology is one of a number of specialised research centres within UCL (University College London) and is, together with Moorfields Eye Hospital, one of the leading centres for eye research worldwide. The combination of the Institute’s research resource with the resources of Moorfields Eye Hospital, which has the largest ophthalmic patient population in the Western World, opens the way for advances at the forefront of vision research. For further information, please visit
www.ucl.ac.uk.
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