Static flicker perimetry in glaucoma and ocular hypertension

Abstract

The visual threshold for standard and flickering targets was determined and compared in 8 glaucoma patients, 8 glaucoma suspects and 13 normal controls. Using a Goldmann size III standard white light target, 25 points in the central 30 degrees of the visual field were tested. The location of these points was designed to reflect areas of the visual field commonly affected by glaucomatous damage. The same determinations were then repeated with the test target flickering at 25 Hz. All glaucoma patients had elevation of the visual threshold compared to normal controls for both standard and flickering targets. The absolute value of threshold elevation was not significantly different between standard and flickering lights. However, when larger targets were used, flicker thresholds were an average 8 dB higher (p less than 0.05) in the glaucoma patients compared to the normals, suggesting improved identification of glaucomatous damage with the use of larger flickering targets.