Purpose: To investigate the relationship between central visual field (VF) defects and ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) in early normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).
Patients and methods: This retrospective study included 100 eyes of 100 subjects: 54 NTG patients whose mean deviations were better than -7.00 dB and 46 normal subjects. OPA was measured by dynamic contour tonometry. NTG patients were divided into 2 subgroups according to VF tests: the central VF-invading and the central VF-sparing groups. Ocular parameters including OPA, intraocular pressure (IOP), and indices of VF tests were analyzed in glaucoma patients and normal subjects.
Results: There was no difference in the OPA between the NTG and normal groups. However, IOP and OPA of the central VF-invading group (14.4 ± 2.87 and 2.9 ± 0.78 mm Hg) were higher than those of the central VF-sparing group (12.7 ± 2.52 and 2.0 ± 0.80 mm Hg; P = 0.025 and P < 0.001, respectively). OPA, but not IOP, showed a positive correlation with the VF test indices that represented central field defects (r = 0.494, P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Increased OPA was related to more centrally located VF defects in NTG patients with mild VF defects.