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PURPOSE: Timely receipt of mammograms to screen for breast cancer in accordance with the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations can substantially reduce morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study is to assess whether odds of receiving screening mammograms are similar for women with and without visual impairment. DESIGN: Retrospective longitudinal cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: 1044 females, 65–72 years of age, enrolled in fee-for-service Medicare from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2015. METHODS: We matched patients with no vision loss (NVL), partial vision loss (PVL), and severe vision loss (SVL) 1:1:1 based on age, race, time in Medicare, urbanicity of residence, and overall health. Women with pre-existing breast cancer were excluded. Multivariable conditional logistic regression modeling compared the odds of receiving screening mammography within a 2-year follow-up period among the 3 groups. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES: Proportion receiving mammography and adjusted odds ratios (OR) of receiving mammography within 2 years of follow-up among the groups. RESULTS: A total of 1044 patients were matched (348 in each group). The mean ± SD age at the index date was 69.0 ± 1.5 years for all 3 groups. The proportion of women receiving ≥ 1 mammogram within the 2-year follow-up period was 69.0% (n=240), 56.9% (n=198), and 56.0% (n=195) for the NVL, PVL and SVL groups, respectively (p=0.0005). The mean ± SD number of mammograms received per patient during the 5-year period (3-year look-back plus 2-year follow-up period) was 3.1 ± 2.0, 2.5 ± 2.0, and 2.3 ± 2.1 for the NVL, PVL and SVL groups, respectively (p

Purpose To investigate the functioning in daily task performance of individuals with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Goals were (1) to quantify the relationships among clinical tests of vision, self-reports, and evaluations of actual task performance to predict difficulty in these tasks; and (2) to validate self-report questionnaire data about daily task performance with observations and measurements of actual task performance conducted by a certified low-vision specialist. Design A cross-sectional study and survey. Participants Sixty-two individuals with RP (mean age, 37 years) participated in the study. Methods We obtained data about task performance from subjects' reports about their daily performance as assessed by a 53-item questionnaire and from a specialist's rating about actual ability on a 64-item battery of tasks, including ones similar to those assessed with the questionnaire. Main outcome measures Clinical measures of vision included visual acuity, visual fields using Goldmann perimetry, letter contrast sensitivity, and cone and rod electroretinogram (ERG) function. The questionnaire and functional tasks were clustered into three categories: "reading," "mobility," and "peripheral detection." Results Self-report was correlated significantly with actual task performance. Task performance was correlated significantly with clinical test performance. Moderate or worse difficulty in performance was observed only for visual acuity worse than 20/40; log contrast sensitivity less than 1.4; a visual field area smaller than 2000 deg 2 (area equivalent to a 50-degree diameter of visual field to the Goldmann II-4-e target); and ERG amplitudes less than 10 microvolts for 32-Hz light-adapted white flicker. Conclusions Despite the significant correlations, there remains variability in task performance that is unaccounted for in some individuals with low levels of clinical test performance. The assessment of actual task performance validated the use of self-reports in individuals with RP.

Purpose: To assess changes in measures of visual function in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) over time. Methods: Patients with RP and visual acuity of 20/40 or better and central visual fields of 10° or larger were enrolled in a 9-year prospective study. The following measures of visual function were obtained annually over the follow-up period: visual acuity, Gold-mann visual fields (V4e target), focal electroretinograms, and hue discrimination. Results: Over the follow-up period, the averaged group data showed changes in all measures of visual function. The smallest amount of change occurred for visual acuity and hue discrimination, and the greatest amount of change occurred for visual field area. Examination of individual patient data over the follow-up period indicated that the rates of change varied among patients and that losses in function for one measure did not correlate well with losses on other measures. Conclusions: These results stress that although visual function deteriorated over time for this group of patients with RP, there were differences among our measures of visual function. Measures that primarily assess central retinal function change relatively slowly compared with measures that assess more peripheral retinal function.

Purpose To determine the extent of electrophysiologic dysfunction in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Design Prospective observational case series. Participants Six patients with unilateral CSC (mean age, 40 years) were recruited into the study. Methods Six patients with CSC underwent multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) testing on both their clinically affected and opposite uninvolved eyes using the VERIS System, with a stimulus array of 103 scaled hexagons. The first positive peak responses were analyzed within six concentric ring annuli centered on the fovea. Amplitudes and implicit times were compared with those of an age-similar control group. Main outcome measures Local electroretinographic response amplitudes and implicit times within the central 40° with the mfERG. Results All the clinically uninvolved eyes showed mfERG amplitudes and implicit times within the normal range throughout the central 40° of the retina. All six eyes with CSC showed reduced amplitudes and/or delayed implicit times that were limited to the regions of the macula in which clinical changes associated with CSC were apparent. Conclusions We observed electroretinographic changes only in the clinically affected eyes, and these were limited to regions with ophthalmoscopically apparent fundus changes. Our findings do not support the conclusion that functional impairment, as measured by the mfERG, in eyes with CSC extends beyond clinically observed fundus changes. We did not observe abnormal mfERG responses in the clinically normal eyes of such patients.

Purpose To examine whether a mosaic pattern of retinal dysfunction in obligate carriers of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) could be observed in local electroretinographic responses obtained with the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Design Prospective observational case series. Participants Five obligate carriers of XLRP (mean age, 53.2 years) were recruited into the study. Methods Examination of each subject included a complete ocular examination, Humphrey visual field, standard full-field electroretinogram (ERG), and mfERG testing. For the mfERG, we used a 103-scaled hexagonal stimulus array that subtended a retinal area of approximately 40° in diameter. The amplitudes and implicit times in each location for the mfERG was compared with the corresponding value determined for a group of normally sighted, age-corrected control subjects. Main outcome measures Mapping of 103 local electroretinographic response amplitudes and implicit times within the central 40° with the multifocal electroretinogram. Results Localized regions of reduced mfERG amplitudes and/or delayed implicit times were found in four of five carriers. In one of these four carriers, a mosaic pattern of mfERG dysfunction was present even in the absence of any clinically apparent retinal changes, retinal sensitivity losses on Humphrey field testing, or abnormal full-field cone ERG responses. However, one carrier with a typical tapetal-like reflex demonstrated no deficit on any functional tests. Conclusions The mfERG demonstrated patchy areas of retinal dysfunction in some carriers of XLRP. This mosaic pattern of dysfunction may be observed in some patients with a normal-appearing fundus, normal psychophysical thresholds, and normal amplitude and implicit time full-field ERG cone responses.

Pattern evoked electroretinograms (PERG), diffuse flash electroretinograms (ERG) and visual evoked potentials were studied in patients with unilateral optic nerve disease. Patients with Snellen acuities of less than 6/30 did not have recordable PERGs in their affected eye, whereas their diffuse flash ERGs were normal. The VEPs were correspondingly reduced or absent when recorded from the poorer seeing eyes. A second group of patients with Snellen acuity between 6/6 and 6/30 in the involved eye showed reductions in the mean PERG amplitude of the affected as compared with the normal eyes. All affected eyes showed an abnormal contrast threshold measured with the PERG amplitude. Such results underscore the diagnostic value of the PERG in detecting even mildly affected cases of optic nerve disease.