Early detection of macular degeneration with electroretinography

In a study that compared patients with dry and wet AMD to those with healthy eyes researchers determined that electroretinography (ERG) is able to detect both wet and dry forms of macular degeneration. The confirmation of this will hopefully lead to earlier treatment in patients before the disease can advance. While macular degeneration does not cause total vision loss, it does cause the loss of central vision, which can interfere with every day activities. The study participants who had both dry and wet macular degeneration displayed a significant decrease in field of vision ratio when compared to those with healthy eyes. The study was conducted by a research team at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and presented at this year's Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) conference.**