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The main objective of this placebo-controlled, triple-blind, balanced crossover study was to assess the acute effects of phenylcapsaicin (PC) intake (2.5 mg) on intraocular pressure (IOP), ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), and heart rate (HR) during a 30-min cycling task performed at 15% of the individual maximal power. Twenty-two healthy young adults performed the cycling task 45 min after ingesting PC or placebo. IOP was measured with a rebound tonometer before exercise, during cycling (every 6 min), and after 5 and 10 min of recovery. OPP was assessed before and after exercise. HR was monitored throughout the cycling task. We found an acute increase of IOP levels related to PC consumption while cycling (mean difference = 1.91 ± 2.24 mmHg; p =.007, η p 2 =.30), whereas no differences were observed for OPP levels between the PC and placebo conditions (mean difference = 1.33 ± 8.70 mmHg; p =.608). Mean HR values were higher after PC in comparison with placebo intake (mean difference = 3.11 ± 15.87 bpm, p =.019, η p 2 =.24), whereas maximum HR did not differ between both experimental conditions (p =.199). These findings suggest that PC intake before exercise should be avoided when reducing IOP levels is desired (e.g., glaucoma patients or those at risk). Future studies should determine the effects of different ergogenic aids on IOP and OPP levels with other exercise configurations and in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: This study uses deep neural network-generated rim-to-disc area ratio (RADAR) measurements and the disc damage likelihood scale (DDLS) to measure the rate of optic disc rim loss in a large cohort of glaucoma patients. METHODS: A deep neural network was used to calculate RADAR and DDLS for each optic disc photograph (ODP). Patient demographics, diagnosis, intraocular pressure (IOP), and mean deviation (MD) from perimetry were analyzed as risk factors for faster progression of RADAR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare RADAR and DDLS in their utility to distinguish glaucoma from glaucoma suspect (GS) and for detecting glaucoma progression. RESULTS: A total of 13,679 ODPs with evidence of glaucomatous optic nerve damage from 4106 eyes of 2407 patients with glaucoma or GS were included. Of these eyes, 3264 (79.5%) had a diagnosis of glaucoma, and 842 (20.5%) eyes were GS. Mean ± SD baseline RADAR of GS and glaucoma were 0.67 ± 0.13 and 0.57 ± 0.18, respectively (P < 0.001). Older age, greater IOP fluctuation, baseline MD, right eye, and diagnosis of secondary open-angle glaucoma were associated with slope of RADAR. The mean baseline DDLS of GS and glaucoma were 3.78 and 4.39, respectively. Both RADAR and DDLS showed a less steep slope in advanced glaucoma. In glaucoma, the change of RADAR and DDLS correlated with the corresponding change in MD. RADAR and DDLS had a similar ability to discriminate glaucoma from GS and detect disease progression. Area under the ROC curve of RADAR and DDLS was 0.658 and 0.648. CONCLUSIONS: Automated calculation of RADAR and DDLS with a neural network can be used to evaluate the extent and long-term rate of optic disc rim loss and is further evidence of long-term nerve fiber loss in treated patients with glaucoma. TRANSLATIONAL RELEVANCE: Our study provides a large clinic-based experience for RADAR and DDLS measurements in GS and glaucoma with a neural network.

PURPOSE: To evaluate Humphrey Visual Field (HVF) test reliability and its associated risk factors in children with glaucoma or glaucoma suspect. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: None. SETTING: Single-center childhood glaucoma clinic. PATIENT POPULATION: One hundred thirty-six patients aged ≤18 years with glaucoma/glaucoma suspect, and least 1 completed 24 to 2 HVF test between 2018 and 2023. OBSERVATION PROCEDURE: Demographic and clinical characteristics including age, primary language, visual acuity (VA), and glaucoma diagnosis were extracted from electronic health records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HVF 24 to 2 testing metrics, including FP, FN, and FL. Tests were defined as reliable using manufacturer guidelines of ≤33% FP, ≤33% FN, and ≤20% FL. For each patient, a reliability score was calculated as the percentage of reliable tests among all tests completed. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with test-level reliability (yes/no). A multivariable linear regression model was used to determine factors associated with patient-level reliability score. RESULTS: Among 634 HVFs from 136 patients (Mean ± SD age at first test 12.0 ± 3.2 years, 47.8% female), 51.3% were reliable. Older age, better baseline VA, and English as primary language were associated with greater odds of test-level reliability (P < .04). Mean ± SD patient-level reliability score was 51.7 ± 38.1%. Older age at first clinic visit, better baseline VA, and English as primary language were associated with higher reliability scores (all P < .02), and number of prior VF tests was not (P = .56). CONCLUSIONS: Younger age, worse visual acuity, and non-English as primary language were associated with decreased reliability and should be considered when interpreting VF testing in children. A significant learning effect was not observed with repeated testing.

BackgroundTo examine long-term retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) variability and associated clinical factors in African (AD) and European descent (ED) individuals with glaucoma.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included glaucoma eyes of AD and ED from Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study/The African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study with ≥4 visits/2 years of follow-up. We calculated optic nerve head RNFLT variability per-examination/visit as the absolute error of its residuals across follow-up. Full, baseline and parsimonious linear-mixed models were fit to evaluate the effects of clinical factors (demographics and ocular characteristics, prior/intervening glaucoma surgeries and cataract extraction (CE), RNFLT thinning rate, scan quality, visit/testing frequency, etc) on RNFLT variability in both races.ResultsThere were 376 and 625 eyes (226 and 349 participants) of AD and ED, and the mean (95% CI) RNFLT variability was 1.62 (1.52, 1.71) µm and 1.42 (1.34, 1.50) µm, respectively (p=0.002). AD and ED had some shared predictors of RNFLT variability, including intraocular pressure fluctuation and scan quality, although the effects varied (p

Background/aimsTo investigate the association between longitudinal changes of foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and the rate of structural and functional progression in glaucoma.MethodsA longitudinal cohort included 115 eyes (46 glaucoma suspect and 66 primary open-angle glaucoma) of 81 patients having ≥2 year follow-up, and ≥4 visits with optical coherence tomography angiography and visual field (VF). Eyes in the longitudinal cohort with a slope greater than that found in 95 percentile of separate healthy test-retest series for FAZ area were categorised into FAZ progressors; all other eyes were defined as FAZ non-progressors. A generalised linear mixed-effect model was used to investigate the association of FAZ progressors with demographic and clinical characteristics.ResultsFaster ganglion cell complex (GCC) thinning and faster VF mean deviation (MD) loss were found in eyes with FAZ progressors compared with FAZ non-progressors (mean difference: -0.7 (95% CI, -1.4 to -0.1) µm/y; p=0.026, -0.3 (-0.5 to -0.1) dB/y; p=0.017, respectively), while whole image vessel density was not associated with FAZ progressors (p=0.929). SD of intraocular pressure (IOP) and IOP range were also associated with FAZ progressors in separate multivariable models (OR: 1.54 (1.02 to 2.32) per 1 mm Hg higher, p=0.041; OR: 1.20 (1.01 to 1.41) per 1 mm Hg higher; p=0.035, respectively).ConclusionsSignificant FAZ increase was weakly associated with moderately faster rates of both GCC thinning and VF MD loss, but not macular vessel density change in glaucoma eyes. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the pathophysiological associations between macula GCC thinning and FAZ area increases in glaucoma.