Automated Flicker Perimetry in Glaucoma and Retinal Detachment Patients

The authors studied the relationship between the critical fusion frequency (CFF) and the threshold value of differential light sensitivity in glaucoma and retinal detachment patients. One hundred and fifty eyes of 82 glaucoma patients and 27 eyes of 27 retinal detachment patients were examined by both light-sense perimetry, using the Octopus 201, and flicker perimetry, using the Octopus 1-2-3. In glaucoma patients, the authors studied the correlation between light sensitivity and flicker sensitivity in the area where nerve fiber layer defects (NFLD) were observed. In retinal detachment patients, they studied the area where the retina had been detached. In glaucoma patients, when the threshold values of differential light sensitivity decreased from 30 to 20dB, the CFF decreased from 40 to 5 Hz. Many test points where the values of differential light sensitivity were less than 15dB were shown to be 0 Hz by flicker perimetry. On the other hand, in retinal detachment patients, light-sense perimetry detected more abnormal points than flicker perimetry. In abnormal points where the threshold values of differential light sensitivity were less than 15dB, the CFF never decreased to 0 Hz by flicker perimetry. The results showed that flicker perimetry was more sensitive and useful for the detection of visual field defects of glaucoma than for those of retinal detachment.