Reading, Vision Function and Disease Progression in Early to Intermediate AMD

Most prior research on reading in people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has focused on those with advanced disease. The first goal of this project is to examine the visual, motor, and cognitive factors that contribute to reading performance in people with early to intermediate(E/I) AMD. A second goal is to compare those with E/I AMD to age-matched groups with no AMD, and with advanced disease to determine which characteristics of the E/I AMD participants more closely match those with advanced AMD. The final goal is to assess our E/I AMD participants longitudinally to determine which factors best predict progression to the advanced AMD. A better understanding of the factors underlying reading deficits in people with E/I AMD will improve reading remediation efforts in this growing population. Improved prediction of disease progression will be a great benefit in clinical practice and research on current and new treatments for this degenerative disorder.