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Flash recovery testing may be used to identify patients with macular disease
 Daniel B. Roth |
BOSTON — A flash recovery testing device may be used to differentiate between patients with or without macular disease, according to a study presented here.
A research team used a macular adaptometer to perform flash recovery testing on 515 eyes, Daniel B. Roth, MD, said at the American Society of Retina Specialists meeting. One-sided t-test was then used to determine if numerous variables and disease states were associated with statistically significant prolonged recovery time.
Longer recovery time was correlated with worse vision and the presence of macular disease. All eyes had a mean recovery time of 17.9 seconds, while healthy eyes averaged 11.9 seconds. However, the usefulness of the test was limited by its sensitivity and specificity scores.
"The test may have benefit for screening for macular disease. However, additional modifications of the testing parameters or additional variables may be necessary to allow the test to be useful in the primary care setting," Dr. Roth said. "It is also possible that, given a baseline recovery time score in a given patient, the test can then be used to monitor for deterioration of macular disease."
- Disclosure: Dr. Roth has no financial interest in the products discussed, nor is he a paid consultant for any companies mentioned.