Direct Discrimination of Quantum States by the Human Eye
ConditionAge-Related Macular Degeneration
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorCentre for Eye and Vision Research
About this trial
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a debilitating eye disease that causes a loss of central vision. The prevalence of AMD increases exponentially with age and causes a significant impact through both medical expenses and the social and economic costs associated with vision loss. AMD is the global leading cause of blindness among people over the age of 60. Detection of this eye disease at early stages coupled with prompt treatment can prevent vision loss; however, modern diagnosis methods are ineffective at diagnosis of AMD before vision loss occurs. While a range of available treatment options has been effective at slowing vision loss due to AMD, no treatment exists which can recover lost vision. The investigators propose to apply tools developed in quantum information science to diagnose AMD before vision has been affected, drastically improving health outcomes for patients with AMD.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Participants who are clinically diagnosed with a vision disease affecting their macula
Older adults who are matched for age.
Participants who are clinically diagnosed with glaucoma
Participants who have normal vision.
Disqualifiers
Participants with any additional eye diagnosis or condition
Trial design
Design model
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
Structured Light Imaging Microscopy
DeviceConducting the psychophysical task on the perception of OAM-coupled polarized light created using the experimental setup - Structured Light Imaging Microscopy (SLIM). Four types of vortex orbital angular momentum, differing by the number of fringes l=5;10; 15;20, will be presented for 0.5s per trial during which an azimuthally varying entoptic profile rotated clockwise or counterclockwise. A circular mask with a varying radius will be placed at fixation, thus the task will be performed at varying eccentricities. Circular obstruction of the area will be achieved due to the high refresh-rate structured light modulator. The threshold mask size will be changed by a 2up/1down staircase method (71% accuracy for the estimation of mask size).
Treatment groups
50 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: Participants with Age-Related Macular DegenerationExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Perception of the structured light
Assessment of the participant's ability to see the entoptic phenomena created using the structured light (SL) - orbital angular momentum (OAM) coupled polarized light. Various SL vortex and radial patterns will be projected using the custom research-based laser optical setup
Time frame
Approximately 10 minutes, Screening and Training day (Session 1)2
Radius of the radial retinal polarizer
Calculation of the radius of the central obstruction. From a total of 14 reversal trials, the six last values of the mask size will be used for the calculation of the threshold mask size mean (r mean). The standard deviation will be computed from the variance of these last six trials
Time frame
Approximately 30 minutes, on the completion of the study (Session 6)Secondary outcomes
1
Thickness of retina and retinal layers
Measurement of the retinal layers' thickness and total neuroretina
Time frame
Approximately 10 minutes, Screening and Training day (Session 1)2
Contrast sensitivity
Computer-based measurement of contrast sensitivity
Time frame
Approximately 5 minutes, Screening and Training day (Session 1)3
Fundus photography
Imaging the retina using white light. The diameter of the optic nerve head will be measured in order to calculate the degree/pixel ratio for each participant
Time frame
Approximately 5 minutes, Screening and Training day (Session 1)4
Ocular biometry measurement
Measurement of the central corneal thickness and axial eye length
Time frame
Approximately 5 minutes, Screening and Training day (Session 1)Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Centre for Eye and Vision Research
Lead sponsor
University of Waterloo
Collaborator
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov