Effects of Physiologic Myopia and Aging on Visual Fields in Normal Eyes.

Abstract

PURPOSE\nTo study how mild-to-moderate myopia and aging affect visual field sensitivity (VF-S) in normal eyes correcting for effects of each.\n\n\nDESIGN\nCombined cross-sectional and cohort study.\n\n\nMETHODS\nTwo normal groups, cross-sectional group (n=703; 1,051 eyes; mean age, 52.6 years) and longitudinal group (n=44; 83 eyes; mean age, 52.3 years; follow-up, 4.2 years; VF tests, 12) were included. In the cross-sectional group, the mean VF-S of the entire field and three disc portion-oriented subfields of the Humphrey Field Analyzer 24-2 program were correlated with subjects age, axial length (AL), disc, rim and β-peripapillary area and disc ovality and torsion, using linear mixed-regression models. Their time changes in the longitudinal group were correlated with time, subjects age and AL using linear mixed-regression models.\n\n\nRESULTS\nIn the cross-sectional group, the VF-S correlated negatively with age (-0.081 decibel [dB]/year (P<0.001), which was more negative (P=0.020) in the midperipheral than central subfield, and with AL (P=0.049) without inter-subfield differences. In the longitudinal group, no changes in the ocular media were significant and the VF-S declined by 0.074 dB/year (P=0.007), which accelerated with higher age (P<0.002) and baseline VF-S (P<0.001) without inter-subfield differences. The AL showed little effects on the VF-S longitudinal changes.\n\n\nCONCLUSION\nIn normal eyes with mild-to-moderate myopia, the VF-S was lower subfield-independently with longer AL, while the AL had little effects on the aging-associated VF-S reduction. The VF-S decreased with aging with inter-subfield differences. The aging-associated VF-S reduction accelerated with higher age, to which the ocular media changes were unrelated.