Residual stereopsis in age-related macular degeneration patients and its impact on vision-related abilities: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of residual stereopsis on vision-related abilities of low vision (LV) patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS Prospective non-randomized observational case series. Inclusion criteria included documented AMD, LV with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/50-20/400 in the better eye, and ages between 50 and 90 years. Stereoacuity was measured using the near Frisby Stereotest. Vision related abilities were documented with the VA LV VFQ-48 questionnaire. RESULTS Twenty-seven subjects with mean age of 84±6 years old were recruited, of which 59.3% (16/27) were female. 59.3% (16/27) of the subjects were not able to see any stereoacuity plate, 25.9% (7/27) had stereoacuity of 340s of arc (SOA), 11.1% (3/27) had stereoacuity of 170 SOA and 3.7% (1/27) had stereoacuity of 85 SOA. The mean Overall Functional Visual Abilities (OFVA) score was significantly higher in those with stereopsis (2.25±0.99) than those without stereopsis (1.50±0.92) (P=0.028). CONCLUSIONS LV patients with stereopsis have better OFVA than those without. Stereopsis should be considered as a component of LV rehabilitation and considered as an outcome measure in research and clinical practice.