Aktuelle Tagungsinformationen
News and Updates
Anmeldung zur Tagung
Registration
Hotelbuchung
Hotel Registration
Grußwort
Welcome address
Beteiligte Gesellschaften
Societies involved
Eröffnung des Kongresses
Opening Ceremony
Preise
Awards
Wissenschaftliches Programm
Scientific program
Posterpräsentationen
Poster Presentation
Kurse
Courses
Begleitende Veranstaltungen
Collateral Events
Rahmenprogramm
Social program
Jubiläumsparty
Jubilee Party
DOG Information
DOG Information
Allgemeine Informationen
General Information
Autorenindex
Index of Authors
Ausstellerliste
Exhibitors
Sponsoren
Sponsors
Teilnahmegebühren
Registration fees
Impressum
DOG Homepage
Evaluation of a Subjective Method to Measure Macular Pigment Optical Density
1Dasch B., 2Wachter A., 1Sun Y., 3Krause K., 2Pauleikhoff D., 4Mellerio J., 5Hense H.-W.,
1Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Epidemiologie und Sozialmedizin, Abteilung Klinische Epidemiologie (Münster)
2St. Franziskus-Hospital, Augenabteilung (Münster)
3Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Klinik und Poliklinik für Augenheilkunde (Münster)
4Hochschule für Biowissenschaften, Universität Westminster (London)
5Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Institut für Epidemiologie und Sozialmedizin (Münster)
Purpose: Macular pigment (MP) seems to play a protective role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We evaluated the reliability of Mellerio`s maculometer, a novel subjective method to assess MP optical density (MPOD). We further compared mean MPOD values with regard to age, gender and smoke habits.
Method: The transportable maculometer employs heterochromatic flicker photometry. The MPOD was measured in both eyes of 64 subjects without macular abnormalities ranging in age from 9 to 81 years (33 woman, 31 men). Fourty-five of them were tested again a few days later. Reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
Results: The average ICC values were 0,75 (left eye) and 0.80 (right eye). Thus high test-retest-reliability was demonstrated. The mean MPOD values were assessed as 0,43±0.18 D.U. (left eye) and 0.43±0.19 D.U. (right eye). There was a significant inverse correlation between MPOD and age (Spearman correlation, r = -0,41, p=0,0007, right eye; r = -0,37, p=0,0025, left eye). Previously described associations between MPOD and gender or smoking (adjusted for age and gender) were not confirmed.
Conclusions: This new method for the assessment of macular pigment optical density seems highly reliable. The validity of the method is supported by inverse correlation between MPOD and age. We intend to include this method in a prospective study to identify prognostic factors for the progression of age-related maculopathy.