AUTHOR=Rossi Gemma Caterina Maria , Milano Giovanni , De Silvestri Annalisa , Savini Lorenzo , Bosi Chiara , Gambini Giulia , Rama Paolo 

TITLE=Correlation between visual field index and quality of life in glaucoma patients: a new tool to screen quality of life perception?

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1214007

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2023.1214007

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=To evaluate the correlation between visual field index (VFI) and vision related quality of life (QoL) considering several confounding variables that may have a positive or negative effect.
Methods: Cross-sectional, mono-centric study on glaucoma patients. Quality of life was examined with NEI-VFQ 25 and Glaucoma Symptom Scale (GSS). The visual field was performed with the Humphrey Field Analyzer. The variables considered were: age, gender, comorbidities, years (at diagnosis and duration of the illness), treatment and related active principles, intraocular pressure, visual acuity. The analysis has been performed on both the better and the worse eye. The linear regression univariate analysis and the multivariate analyses had been performed.
Results: 193 patients enrolled. The mean age was 70.8±10.4 years, the mean follow-up period since diagnosis 11.4±9.2 years. Approximately 50% of the patients suffered from primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and 45% were on monotherapy. The mean VFI was 81.3±26. About QoL, the NEI-VFQ total mean was 80.4±17.8, the GSS total score was 77.2±21.
Regarding NEI-VFQ 25, the single linear regression analysis found the following relations: age at time of visit (r=-0.30, p=0.016); years of illness (r=-0.32, p=0.020); the minimum and maximal visual acuity (r=2.04 and  r=3.96, p<0.001); the IOP min (r=1.13, p=0.002) and max (r= -0.52, p=0.017); and the number of previous surgeries (r=-3.94, p<0.001). The multivariate analysis found the following relations: gender (r= 5.13, p=0.019), visual acuity max (r=3.16, p<0.001) and previous surgeries (r=-1.80, p=0.032). Regarding GSS, the single linear regression analysis found relations with visual acuity (r=2.37, p<0.001); VFI (r=0.41, p<0.001); previous surgeries in the eye considered (r=-7.27, p<0.001) and number of instillations (r=-3.67, p=0.031). 
Data confirmed that a higher VFI has a positive impact on the score of both the NEI-VFQ 25  (r=0.22, p=<0.001) and the GSS questionnaire (r=0.36, p<0.001) 
Conclusions. The study demonstrated the correlation between VFI and QoL of patients and their visual and non-visual ocular symptoms and function both in the worst and in the better eye, even taking into consideration several clinical and demographic confounding variables. Our data support that VFI is an important metric instrument in the follow up of patient with glaucoma