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This information is provided for educational purposes only.
Wet AMD impairs multiple aspects of central visual function. Some of the most common are:
Visual acuity9,21,22
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- Night driving
- Reading
- Stair climbing
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Contrast sensitivity9,21,22
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- Reading speed
- Mobility
- Road signs
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Visual field22,23
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- Facial recognition
- Orientation
- Reading
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Among these aspects, visual acuity is considered the most important by many, providing for both detail and space recognition. For their own parts, however, contrast sensitivity and central visual field function remain equally critical to good central vision, with the former contributing to background recognition and the latter allowing for peripheral vision when the eye is focused on a central point. Consequently, the moment any one of these aspects is impaired, varying degrees of permanent vision loss may result.
As a rule, most patients suffering from wet AMD experience multiple levels of vision loss, beginning with distortion of central vision (metamorphopsia), wherein straight lines and other figures appear wavy or blurred, and then progressing to central vision loss with scotoma, wherein a black spot appears in this field due to the presence of scarring. In many cases, distortions of size and color will also appear, and contrast sensitivity will be diminished, all affecting the patient’s ability to complete even the most simple of tasks.2,9
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