Clinical Research Directory

Automated Applanation Tonometry - Updated

Goldmann Applanation Tonometry (GAT) is considered the clinical gold standard for eye pressure measurements and yet it is known to be a subjective measurement with limited repeatability and limited portability. Another clinical standard for checking eye pressure is known as the pneumotonometer. This method is more objective but not portable. The purpose of this study is to develop new methods of measuring eye pressure that are more objective, reproducible and portable. In this study, the investigators will be comparing the eye pressure measurements using 2 investigational methods to GAT and pneuumotonometer.

Know Your Pressures NYC

Dr. Lisa A. Hark (PI and Study Chair) and an interdisciplinary team have designed "Know Your Pressures NYC" to conduct blood pressure (BP)/glaucoma screenings in adults age 40+ to identify undiagnosed and/or uncontrolled hypertension and/or glaucoma/suspect. For the purpose of this study, individuals will be identified as glaucoma suspects if they have elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) or have features of glaucoma optic neuropathy, as assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus/optic nerve photographs, as interpreted by the masked Reading Center.

A More Engaging Visual Field Test to Increase Use and Reliability in Pediatrics

The majority of young children do not think that visual field (VF) testing of peripheral vision is similar to a game; therefore, it is not surprising that they have difficulty maintaining attention during VF testing and thus the test reliability suffers as a consequence. Poor VF reliability has been a longstanding, major issue since it leads to an increased number of tests and/or longer duration of time needed to determine when there are true vision losses. Providers are less likely to obtain VF tests in children since the results are of doubtful value and challenging to interpret when they are inconsistent. Effectively this means that children with untreated, slowly progressive eye diseases may go undiagnosed and incur greater visual losses. The investigators aim to create a prototype device that the investigators hypothesize will make VF testing more engaging for young children, thus increasing their attention and consistency of their responses to the test stimuli, which in turn should improve VF reliability. The components include a microdisplay video screen (1.5" diameter) as the fixation target (instead of the standard LED light) displaying video clips of popular cartoon characters, and audio clips of impersonated cartoon character voices presented by the test operator to provide instructional feedback based on the child's performance during testing. Improved VF reliability from the investigators intervention would translate to improved diagnosis and care for young childrens' peripheral vision loss through widespread implementation of the investigators innovative, affordable and readily adoptable system at eye care providers' offices.

Eye Health Intervention Study in Upper Manhattan

Individuals living in Upper Manhattan have limited access to eye care, high vision impairment rates, and poor ocular health outcomes. To improve eye care and vision health outcomes, the Eye Health Intervention Study in Upper Manhattan (EYES-UM) will conduct eye health screenings in accessible primary care health centers and senior centers and implement a behavioral intervention to improve adherence for those referred for in-office eye care. The proposed innovative, 2:1 cluster-randomized clinical trial, will recruit adults age 40 and older in Upper Manhattan with known rates of inadequate eye care. A total of 10 settings in Upper Manhattan, comprised of primary care offices, senior centers, and organizations, confirms access to 17,000 individuals living at or below the NYC.gov poverty measure. This study will conduct ocular tests (visual acuity, intraocular pressure, fundus images) during screenings. To ensure that all participants receive the basic level of service, all participants who fail the eye health screening will be seen the same day by a study optometrist and eyeglasses will be provided at no charge. Educational workshops and an Advisory Board will support recruitment. Intervention Arm participants will receive ongoing support with scheduling eye exams and transportation by trained Study Coordinators. All participants will be followed prospectively for 2 years. The study is guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework. Conducting Focus Groups with health policy stakeholders ensures iterative input during the study to bridge and translate EYES-UM findings into a Vision Health Policy Roadmap for scalable implementation of vision care delivery models, focusing on adherence.

CLAD Deconvolved PERG Responses in Glaucoma Patients

Glaucoma is a progressive disease resulting in blindness. Determining the onset of the disease is critical so patients may obtain treatment to preserve useful vision. This study will collect data from a population of glaucoma suspects (with positive factors for the disease but with normal vision) along with a population of age matched controls using the pattern electroretinogram (PERG) and other standard eye tests for glaucoma. The PERG measures the function of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) which come together to form the optic nerve. RGCs may become dysfunctional before dying. The Continuous loop deconvolution technique (CLAD) will be used to extract transient PERG responses in both glaucoma suspects and age matched controls. All patients will be monitored with PERG, Optic Coherence Tomography (OCT) and other ancillary tests over 2 years. CLAD will be compared with conventional techniques of monitoring glaucoma (standard PERG, OCT, visual field etc) to see if the CLAD is better at distinguishing between glaucoma suspects and controls.