Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41603556›Full record

ArticleInvestigative ophthalmology & visual science2026

Preserved Contrast Sensitivity in Early and Intermediate Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Marked Loss in Late Stage: ALSTAR2.

Cynthia Owsley, Liyan Gao, Lindsay Gooden, Tracy N Thomas, Jiaxin Pu, Jason N Crosson, Christine A Curcio, Gerald McGwin, MiYoung Kwon

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Cynthia OwsleyDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
Liyan GaoDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
Lindsay GoodenDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
Tracy N ThomasDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
Jiaxin PuDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
Jason N CrossonDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
Christine A CurcioDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
Gerald McGwinDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States.
MiYoung KwonDepartment of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

Funding

Visual Phenotyping CoreP30EY003039 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI Paul Douglas Gamlin · 1985 to 2026
$16.9M
Functionally Validated Structural Endpoints for Early AMDR01EY029595 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · PI CURCIO, CHRISTINE A, OWSLEY, CYNTHIA · 2019 to 2023
$4.1M
NEI NIH HHS P30 EY003039NEI NIH HHS R01 EY029595
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: To cross-sectionally compare parameters from the quick contrast sensitivity function (qCSF)-area under the log CSF (AULCSF) and sensitivity at each spatial frequency-in older eyes with normal macular health and early, intermediate, and late AMD. Our purpose was to determine whether qCSF could be a promising functional outcome measure in interventions designed to slow AMD progression from aging to late AMD. Methods: qCSF contrast sensitivity was measured at 1.0 to 18 cycles per degree (cyc/deg). Models evaluated the impact of diagnostic group on the AULCSF and individual spatial frequencies, adjusting for age and lens status. The AREDS nine-step classification system defined AMD presence and severity. Results: Eight hundred twenty-three eyes were studied: 383 normal macular health, 203 early AMD, 208 intermediate AMD, and 29 late AMD (23 geographic atrophy, six neovascular AMD). AULCSF decreased with increasing AMD severity; this was mostly attributable to the late AMD eyes having lower AULCSF than other groups. Late AMD eyes had significantly worse sensitivity at 1 and 1.5 cyc/deg compared to all other groups, with other groups having similar sensitivity. At frequencies near or just beyond the CSF peak (3-12 cyc/deg), late AMD eyes again had the worst sensitivity, with intermediate AMD eyes having slightly worse sensitivity than early AMD eyes. There were no group differences at 18 cyc/deg. Conclusions: The qCSF will be most useful in trials studying the transition from intermediate AMD to late-stage AMD, rather than in studying the transition from aging to early and intermediate AMD.

Indexed as

Contrast SensitivityMacular DegenerationAgedAged, 80 and overAgingCross-Sectional StudiesDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMaleVisual Acuity

Identifiers

PMID41603556
PMCPMC12859712

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.