gms | German Medical Science

Purpose: Prompt initiation of treatment is the primary predictor for improved outcomes in Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Home testing using computerized systems could allow patients to independently and objectively monitor disease and prevent vision deterioration in between appointments. This study aimed to investigate a tablet-based vision test, the Rotation Illusion Test for AMD (RITA) for monitoring disease activity in neovascular AMD (nAMD). It aimed to investigate the validity of RITA by comparison to existing, objective measures of visual function and by investigating the test-retest repeatability.

Methods: A prospective observational study was performed in patients with established nAMD. 40 participants were recruited from a UK ophthalmology clinic. Participants performed RITA testing and then continued along their usual treatment pathway, including visual acuity (VA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Results: Participants found RITA easy to use, requiring minimal examiner involvement. Peripheral damage on OCT corresponded to lower RITA scores, demonstrating validity for testing para-central vision. Changes in para-central vision may act independently of changes in central VA. A weak relationship was found between RITA and VA measurements. RITA demonstrated good levels of agreement when tested for test-retest repeatability.

Conclusions: This study contributes to the ongoing advancements in tablet technology and their use in home monitoring. RITA was compared to validated measures with promising results. There is a clear possibility that RITA could have a role in home monitoring of AMD patients.