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New test for glaucoma
Earlier diagnosis is crucial if patients are to get sight-saving treatment in time
A new computer-based test that could spot the early signs of glaucoma - the 'silent blinding disease' - is being developed by researchers at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. It is hoped that the test, which could be downloaded from the internet, will be available within the next year.
Around 500,000 people in the UK suffer from glaucoma and half of these are unaware they are affected and so remain untreated. The delay in diagnosis arises because glaucoma only causes noticeable symptoms in its later stages. People can lose up to 40 percent of their sight before they realise they have a problem. Once the damage is done it is irreversible so the earlier the condition is caught and treated the better.
Detecting glaucoma with the standard sight test can be difficult. The new Moorfields Motion Displacement Test (MDT) uses a unique software program which can be run on a PC. Unlike standard tests which focus on a patient’s sensitivity to light, this new test examines the patient’s ability to detect movement – one of the first things to be affected in people with glaucoma.
During the test the patient focuses on a white dot in the middle of the computer screen. The dot is surround by a number of white lines which move to a greater or lesser extent during the course of the test. The patient has to press the mouse when he or she notices the bars moving. The results can be used to accurately map the patient’s sensitivity to movement - a good indication of whether there is any glaucoma damage.
The researchers at Moorfields say that the MDT will be cheap, portable and quick and will be able to pick up the signs of glaucoma earlier than previous tests.
‘We are hoping that this test will be available at your local optician so that people can get a glaucoma check-up at the same time as they have a sight test,’ says lead researcher Ananth Viswanathan, consultant surgeon at Moorfields.
Glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve which carries visual signals to the brain. It tends to affect those over the age of 40 and is more common in people with a family history of the disease and those of a West African origin.
Although damage already done cannot be repaired, the condition can be treated with eye drops and any further loss of vision avoided.
The Moorfields team revealed the new development to a group of MPs in the House of Commons to coincide with International Glaucoma Day.
‘If we can encourage people to be more aware of the risks and provide a simple and effective test, hopefully we will be able to reduce the large number of cases that go undetected every year,’ says Viswanathan.
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