Patient-reported vision impairment in low luminance relates to visual function in age-related macular degeneration: A MACUSTAR study report

Early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can lead to a number of visual function deficits, but the patient relevance of these deficits is largely unknown. We therefore investigated how bilateral visual function domains affected by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are associated with patient-reports. Using data from the cross-sectional part of the MACUSTAR study with 245 individuals with AMD (34 early AMD, 168 intermediate (i) AMD, 43 late AMD), the Vision Impairment in Low Luminance (VILL) questionnaire (subscales: reading, VILL_R; mobility, VILL_M; emotional well-being, VILL_E) and visual function assessments from both eyes (best-corrected and low-luminance visual acuity, BCVA, LLVA; Moorfields acuity, MA; contrast sensitivity, CS) were included. Associations between VILL and visual function data (better and worse eyes defined based on BCVA) were investigated using age- and sex-adjusted regression models. In the overall sample, VILL_R and VILL_M were associated with all functional tests across eyes (p ≤ 0.0389), while VILL_E was associated with MA and CS (p ≤ 0.0302). Regression estimates for BCVA, LLVA, MA and CS in the better-seeing eyes were -2.70, -1.84, -1.83 and 1.08 (VILL_R); -2.71, -1.87, -1.90 and 1.88 (VILL_M), and -0.25, -0.22, -2.15 and 1.57 (VILL_E). In iAMD, CS and MA in the worse-seeing eye were associated with two VILL subscales, respectively (VILL_R and VILL_M; VILL_M and VILL_E, respectively; p ≤ 0.0395), while BCVA and LLVA in the worse-seeing eye were both associated with one VILL subscale (VILL_M; p ≤ 0.0317). CS in the better eye was associated with VILL_M (p = 0.0454). Thus, patient-reported outcomes are associated with visual function assessments in both eyes in people with AMD. Contrast vision seems particularly patient-relevant in iAMD. Our results further support the construct validity of the VILL questionnaire.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Scientific Reports
Published
2025-10-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14553-4
Primary Topic
Retinal Diseases and Treatments
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Patient-reported vision impairment in low luminance relates to visual function in age-related macular degeneration: A MACUSTAR study report

H. Agostini, Yara Lechanteur, M. Varano, J. Carlton et al.
Scientific Reports
Retinal Diseases and Treatments
article

Patient-reported vision impairment in low luminance relates to visual function in age-related macular degeneration: A MACUSTAR study report

H. Agostini, Yara Lechanteur, M. Varano, J. Carlton, T. Peters, Ângela Carneiro, John Brazier, C. Carapezzi, Lebriz Altay, C. J. F. Boon, Maximilian Pfau, S. Ribeiro, C. B. Hoyng, Adnan Tufail, U. F. O. Luhmann, Frank Gerhard Holz, Tünde Pető, H. Dunbar, David Paul Crabb, Michel Pâques, Hannah Dunbar, Nadia Zakaria, Sérgio Leal, M. Belmouhand, Niranchana Manivannan, F. Bandello, Mariano Cozzi, Philippe Valmaggia, A. Kilani, Franca C. Hartgers, Gary S. Rubin, E. Fletcher, Z. Mulyukov, P. G. Basile, C. Martinho, Rufino Silva, Matthias Schmid, Deborah Cosette, Michael Larsen, M. Parravano, Maurízio Battaglia Parodi, Deanna J. Taylor, D. Rowen, Emma Everson-Hock, Marlene Saßmannshausen, Raphaël Atia, M. Böttger, Sergio Leal, A. Binns, C. Dahlke, Ruth Hogg, S. Penas, J. Sahel, O. Sander, Charlotte Behning, Alison M. Binns, M. Gutfleisch, R. Sunitha, José Cunha‐Vaz, Raul Sérgio Martins Coimbra, Ulrich F. O. Luhmann, Jan Henrik Terheyden, A. Lüning, Robert Patrick Finger, Armin Wolf, Giovanni Staurenghi, Steffen Schmitz-Valckenberg, Inês Aires, Moritz Berger, Stephen Poor, J. Siedlecki, Siegfried Priglinger, L. Kühlewein, Brian P. Higgins, A. Charil, J. Krätzschmar, J. Batuca, Joana Tavares, Simona Degli Esposti, Clarisa Sánchez, I. Marques, E. Souied, J. Hildebrandt, Klaus-Peter Moll
article en

Abstract

Early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can lead to a number of visual function deficits, but the patient relevance of these deficits is largely unknown. We therefore investigated how bilateral visual function domains affected by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are associated with patient-reports. Using data from the cross-sectional part of the MACUSTAR study with 245 individuals with AMD (34 early AMD, 168 intermediate (i) AMD, 43 late AMD), the Vision Impairment in Low Luminance (VILL) questionnaire (subscales: reading, VILL_R; mobility, VILL_M; emotional well-being, VILL_E) and visual function assessments from both eyes (best-corrected and low-luminance visual acuity, BCVA, LLVA; Moorfields acuity, MA; contrast sensitivity, CS) were included. Associations between VILL and visual function data (better and worse eyes defined based on BCVA) were investigated using age- and sex-adjusted regression models. In the overall sample, VILL_R and VILL_M were associated with all functional tests across eyes (p ≤ 0.0389), while VILL_E was associated with MA and CS (p ≤ 0.0302). Regression estimates for BCVA, LLVA, MA and CS in the better-seeing eyes were -2.70, -1.84, -1.83 and 1.08 (VILL_R); -2.71, -1.87, -1.90 and 1.88 (VILL_M), and -0.25, -0.22, -2.15 and 1.57 (VILL_E). In iAMD, CS and MA in the worse-seeing eye were associated with two VILL subscales, respectively (VILL_R and VILL_M; VILL_M and VILL_E, respectively; p ≤ 0.0395), while BCVA and LLVA in the worse-seeing eye were both associated with one VILL subscale (VILL_M; p ≤ 0.0317). CS in the better eye was associated with VILL_M (p = 0.0454). Thus, patient-reported outcomes are associated with visual function assessments in both eyes in people with AMD. Contrast vision seems particularly patient-relevant in iAMD. Our results further support the construct validity of the VILL questionnaire.

Scientific ReportsVol. 15(1)
Roche (Switzerland) (CH), Queen's University Belfast (GB), Novartis (Switzerland) (CH), Carl Zeiss (Germany) (DE), Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GB), University of Ulster (GB), Radboud University Nijmegen (NL), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University (IT), University of Freiburg (DE), Zimmer Biomet (Netherlands) (NL), City, University of London (GB), University of Cologne (DE), University of Milan (IT), Universität Ulm (DE), Heidelberg University (DE), University Hospital Bonn (DE), Leiden University Medical Center (NL), Fondation de France (FR), Centre hospitalier national d'ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts (FR), Glostrup Hospital (DK), University Hospital Heidelberg (DE), Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (GB), Radboud University Medical Center (NL), Hospital de São João (PT), Luigi Sacco Hospital (IT), Institut für Medizinische Biometrie, Informatik und Epidemiologie (DE), Zimmer Biomet (Germany) (DE), Fondazione G.B. Bietti (IT), Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (NL), Universitätsklinik für Augenheilkunde (CH), Royal Victoria Hospital (GB), Association for Innovation and Biomedical Research on Light and Image (PT), STZ eyetrial (DE), St. Franziskus Hospital (DE), Moorfields Eye Hospital (GB), European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (FR), University Hospital Ulm (DE), University Medical Centre Mannheim (DE), Hôpital Intercommunal de Créteil (FR), Technische Hochschule Ulm (DE), University College London (GB), Bayer (Germany) (DE), Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE), University of Sheffield (GB)
European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, European Commission
Openalex Percentile: Top 59%
Retinal Diseases and Treatments
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.