Developing iPad home-monitoring platforms for multiple sclerosis assessment
Project Details
A key goal for MS management is appropriate treatment escalation. Thus biomarkers which are simple and can be measured repeatedly with short inter-test times are a significant priority for MS management. It is well established that retinal changes occur in MS patients with and even without the local ocular inflammation associated with optic neuritis. In particular, reduced contrast sensitivity is an extremely easy test of visual function that appears to be a sensitive diagnostic indicator for MS, having shown strong correlations with MRI outcomes. Current MS evaluation is restricted to assessment in a clinical environment and thus the interval between assessments is commonly 3-6 monthly or longer. Assessment with a tablet device such as an iPad (Apple, Inc. Cupertina, CA) enables low-cost portable assessment with proven suitable luminance range and spatial resolution for visual acuity and contrast sensitivity tasks. By developing and validating a LCVA iPad platform for home assessment could greatly advance the sensitivity of LCVA as an ocular biomarker for MS. Indeed, home-monitoring of vision with a tablet device has been proven to enable earlier detection than standard clinical reviews in age-related macular degeneration, which leads to earlier intervention and improved visual outcomes. This project aims to develop an ipad low contrast visual acuity platform and assess this in MS patients and age-matched controlsFunding
UoM Faculty Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences Melbourne Research Grant Support SchemeResearch Group
Faculty Research Themes
School Research Themes
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