View clinical trials related to Macular Degeneration.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that Anecortave Acetate is as effective after twelve months of treatment as photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Visudyne in patients eligible for initial PDT treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration.
To evaluate the relation of retinal microvascular characteristics to subclinical cardiovascular disease, clinical disease, and their risk factors in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort.
The purpose of the study is to determine whether the anti-VEGF drug is effective at stabilizing and/or improving vision in patients with the wet form of AMD
This study will try to identify and treat feeder vessels in age-related macular degeneration. The macula is the part of the retina in the back of the eye that determines central or best vision. In macular degeneration, leaking blood vessels under the macula lead to loss of central vision. These vessels branch out tree-like from one or more feeder vessels. Instead of treating all the abnormal branching vessels, this study will try to find and close only the feeder vessels, thereby depriving the abnormal vessels of nutrition. The vessels will be closed with laser beam treatment. People 50 years of age and older with macular degeneration and visual acuity worse than 20/50 in the study eye and the same or better vision in the other eye may be eligible for this study. Candidates will undergo fluorescein angiography to try to locate feeder vessels. For this procedure, a yellow dye is injected into an arm vein. The dye travels to the blood vessels in the eyes, and pictures of the retina are taken using a camera that flashes a blue light into the eye. The pictures show if any dye has leaked from the vessels into the retina, indicating possible blood vessel abnormality. Before laser treatment, participants will have a complete eye examination, including measurement of visual acuity, evaluation of the front part of the eye with a slit lamp microscope, examination of the retina with an ophthalmoscope, and measurement of eye pressure using a tonometer. During the laser treatment phase of the study, participants will have indocyanine green angiography-a procedure similar to fluorescein angiography, but using a green dye-to photograph the retina and identify feeder vessels. If feeder vessels are located, laser beam treatment will begin. For this procedure, the eye is anesthetized with numbing drops. A special contact lens is then placed on the eye for the laser treatment. The number of treatments depends on how well the individual patient responds, but usually between two and eight treatments are required. The indocyanine green angiogram will be repeated after the laser beam treatment to determine if the feeder vessels have been successfully closed. If the vessels remain partially open, a repeat application will be done, followed by another indocyanine green angiogram to check the results. Patients will be checked in the clinic after 1 week to see if additional treatment is needed. If so, re-treatment will be done in a week. If no re-treatment is required, follow-up visits will be scheduled 2, 3, and 6 weeks after treatment, 3 and 6 months after treatment, and every 6 months after that for 2 years to evaluate treatment results. The evaluations will include fluorescein angiograms and other examinations that were done before starting treatment. If abnormal vessels are still present or growing, repeat treatments will be applied following the same procedure.
This study will test the safety and effectiveness of a fluocinolone implant to treat age-related macular degeneration. This eye disease can severely impair central vision, affecting a person's ability to read, drive, and carry out daily activities. It is the leading cause of vision loss in people over age 60. The fluocinolone implant is a tiny plastic rod with a pellet of the steroid fluocinolone on the end. The pellet slowly dissolves and releases the medication into the fluid in the eye. Vision loss in macular degeneration is caused by the formation of new blood vessels in the choroid-a thin, pigmented vascular layer of the eye behind the retina. These abnormal vessels leak blood under the macula, the part of the retina that determines central vision. Tissue studies show evidence of inflammation in the retinas of patients. This study will test whether the slow release of the steroid fluocinolone directly into the affected part of the eye can prevent or slow further vision loss. Preliminary animal and human studies with fluocinolone implants have shown some benefit in reducing blood vessel growth and improving or stabilizing vision. Patients 50 years of age and older with age-related macular degeneration may be eligible for this study. Study patients will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One will receive a 0.5-mg dose implant; the other will receive a 2-mg dose implant. Theoretically, the implants can release the medicine for 2 to 3 years. Participants will have a medical history, physical examination and complete eye examination. The latter will include a vision test, eye pressure measurement, examination of the pupils, lens, retina, and eye movements. Photographs of the eye will be taken with a special camera. Patients will also undergo fluorescein angiography, a test that takes pictures of the retina using a yellow dye called sodium fluorescein. The dye is injected into the blood stream through a vein. After it reaches the blood vessels of the eye, photographs are taken of the retina. When the above tests are completed, patients will be scheduled for surgery to place the implant. The procedure will be done under either local or general anesthesia. Follow-up visits will be scheduled 1, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after surgery, then at 3 and 6 months after surgery, and then every 6 months until the implant is depleted of medicine or is removed. Several of the exams described above will be repeated during the follow-up period to evaluate the treatment and side effects, if any.
This study will examine whether taking the vitamin lutein changes lutein blood levels. Lutein, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene may be useful in treating the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, but more information is needed to support this. Age-related macular degeneration can significantly impair the ability to read, drive, and carry out daily activities. It is the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 60. Lutein a carotenoid that occurs naturally in the retina (the back part of the eye), especially the macula-the part of the retina that is important for fine, detailed vision. Men and women 60 years of age and older, with or without age-related macular degeneration, may be eligible for this study. Candidates will undergo the following tests: 1. Medical history and physical examination. 2. Eye examination-Includes evaluation of visual acuity, measurement of eye pressure, examination of the lens, retina, pupils and eye movements, and photographs of the eye. 3. Visual field study-Examines the ability to see objects in the periphery. The subject looks at a target on a screen and indicates when lights that appear in other places on the screen are visible. 4. Flicker photometry-The subject looks at a flashing light and turns a knob until the light stops flashing. 5. Blood tests-To measure blood levels of lutein and other carotenoids, liver function, cholesterol and triglycerides. Participants will be randomly assigned to take one of three dosages of lutein (2.5 milligrams, 5 milligrams or 10 milligrams) for 6 months and will be examined at follow-up visits scheduled 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after starting lutein. During these visits, many of the exams described above will be repeated to evaluate the effects of lutein treatment on the eye.
This screening protocol is designed to help recruit patients for National Eye Institute (NEI) studies of the retina, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. Patients must meet the specific criteria of a research study, and this protocol serves as a first step for admitting patients to a retinal disease study. Candidates will undergo a medical history and comprehensive eye examination. The eye examination includes dilation of the pupils to fully examine the retina. In some studies, photographs of the eye are required. This is done using fluorescein angiography. In this procedure, a dye called sodium fluorescein is injected into the blood stream through a vein. After the dye reaches the blood vessels of the eye, photographs are taken of the retina. Other diagnostic procedures may include physical examination, questionnaires, routine laboratory tests and other standard or specialized tests, as needed. When the screening is completed, patients will be informed of their options to participate in a study. Patients who are ineligible for a current study will be informed of alternative treatments or options. No treatment is offered under this protocol.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) represents the most common cause of blindness in patients over the age of 60. The major cause of vision loss in this disease is due to the development of choroidal neovascular membrane formation (CNVM). Several clinical trials have proven that eyes with "well-defined" CNVM or lesions that can be readily demarcated with fluorescein angiography can be successfully treated with laser photocoagulation. However, up to 87% of eyes present with "ill-defined" CNVM or lesions that cannot be well demarcated on fluorescein angiography and are not amenable to laser photocoagulation. No beneficial treatment for this form of choroidal neovascularization has been established. Histopathologic study has demonstrated the presence of inflammatory and reparative responses in the retina of patients with ill-defined choroidal neovascularization. Since corticosteroids have been shown to downregulate many of the cellular factors involved in both inflammation and repair, the present study is designed to assess the ability of corticosteroid injection around the eye to prevent severe vision loss associated with "ill-defined" choroidal neovascularization in the setting of age-related macular degeneration. The study will be organized as a randomized open label control clinical trial involving 2 phases. Phase 1 involving 40 patients will establish the feasibility and safety of this treatment modality. Phase 2 will place emphasis on efficacy of the study.
The efficacy of laser photocoagulation treatment for diabetic retinopathy has been demonstrated by several National Eye Institute (NEI) sponsored clinical trials. The Diabetic Retinopathy Study (DRS) demonstrated that scatter photocoagulation reduces the risk of blindness from diabetic retinopathy. The Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) extended these findings by providing information on when to initiate scatter photocoagulation and by demonstrating that focal treatment was effective in treating macula edema. The Krypton Argon Regression Neovascularization Study (KARNS) showed that scatter photocoagulation with krypton red laser was just as safe and effective as the argon blue-green laser in the treatment of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Unfortunately, there is little data on the long term effects of photocoagulation on visual function. The first objective of this study is to assess the long term effects of photocoagulation for diabetic retinopathy. A second objective is to provide additional information on the risk of progression of cataracts in persons with diabetes. All patients previously treated with laser photocoagulation (focal and/or scatter) are eligible to participate in this long term study. The first priority will be given to patients who participated in the ETDRS and KARNS because of the wealth of information available regarding the details of their treatment and course after treatment. Study evaluations will include a standard ophthalmic examination, fluorescein angiography, lens and fundus photography.
The purpose of this study is to evaluate possible mechanisms of central visual loss in patients with diabetes mellitus. The visual loss of interest to be investigated is that associated with macular edema (prior to and following laser photocoagulation treatment) and that associated with panretinal photocoagulation. The evaluation will be performed with psychophysical testing, i.e., static perimetry and contrast sensitivity function. Of particular interest, the mechanisms of visual loss associated with macular edema (prior to and following laser photocoagulation) will be further investigated. Photoreceptor-mediated visual loss will be assessed by measurements of the Stiles-Crawford effect. Visual loss mediated by post-receptoral retinal changes will be assessed by measuring the Westheimer spatial desensitization/sensitization effect.