Optic Flow Processing in Patients With Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE: Optic flow processing was characterized in patients with macular degeneration (MD). METHODS: Twelve patients with dense bilateral scotomas and 12 age- and gender-matched control participants performed psychophysical experiments. Stimuli were dynamic random-dot kinematograms projected on a large screen. For each component of optic flow (translational, radial, and rotational), we estimated motion coherence discrimination thresholds in our participants using an adaptive Bayesian procedure. RESULTS: Thresholds for translational, rotational, and radial patterns were comparable between patients and their matched control participants. A negative correlation was observed in patients between the time since MD diagnosis and coherence thresholds for translational patterns. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that in patients with MD, selectivity to optic flow patterns is preserved.