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 w...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
09 October 2025
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| In: |
Scientific reports
Year: 2025, Volume: 15, Pages: 1-8 |
| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-025-14553-4 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-14553-4 Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-14553-4 
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| Author Notes: | Jan Henrik Terheyden, Charlotte Behning, Hannah M.P. Dunbar, Stephen Poor, Nadia Zakaria, Alison M. Binns, Marlene Saßmannshausen, Sergio Leal, Matthias Schmid, Frank G. Holz, David P. Crabb, Ulrich F.O. Luhmann, Robert P. Finger & MACUSTAR consortium |
| Summary: | 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. |
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| Item Description: | Mitglieder des MACUSTAR consortium: H. Agostini, I.D. Aires, L. Altay, R. Atia [und viele weitere] Gesehen am 08.01.2026 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |
| DOI: | 10.1038/s41598-025-14553-4 |