Individualized Structure-Function Mapping for Glaucoma: Practical Constraints on Map Resolution for Clinical and Research Applications

PURPOSE. We have developed customized maps that relate visual field and optic nerve head (ONH) regions according to individual anatomy. In this study, we aimed to determine feasible map resolution for research use, and to make a principled recommendation of sector size for clinical applications. METHODS. Measurement variability in fovea-ONH distance and angle was estimated from 10 repeat OCT scans of 10 healthy people. Errors in estimating axial length from refractive error were determined from published data. Structure-function maps were generated, and customized to varied clinically-plausible anatomical parameters. For each parameter set (n = 210), 200 maps were generated by sampling from measurement/estimation error distributions. Mapped 1 degrees sectors at each visual field location from each parameter set were normalized to difference from their mean. Variation (90% ranges) in normalized mapped sectors represents the precision of individualized maps. RESULTS. Standard deviations of repeated measures of fovea-ONH distance and angle were 61 mu m and 0.978 (coefficients of variation 1.3% and 12.0%, respectively). Neither measure varied systematically with mean (Spearmans's rho = 0.26, P = 0.47 for distance, rho = -0.31, P = 0.39 for angle). Variation (90% ranges) in normalized mapped sectors varied across the visual field and ranged from 3 degrees to 18 degrees when axial length was measured accurately, and from 6 degrees to 32 degrees when axial length was estimated from refractive error. CONCLUSIONS. The 90% ranges represent the minimum feasible ONH sector size at each visual field location. For clinical use an easily interpretable scheme of 30 degrees sectors is suggested.