Study on Ocular Blood Flow and the Orbital Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure in Glaucoma

Ocular blood flow has been consistently demonstrated to be altered in glaucoma patients when compared to otherwise healthy individuals. Numerous Doppler studies have shown a decrease in flow velocities in the retrobulbar arteries in what appears to be related to the degree of the glaucomatous disease.

The anatomic pathway of the several arteries into the eye is intricately complicate, with at least one of them (the central retina artery) penetrating the optic nerve before entering the eye and supplying the innermost structures of the globe. As the optic nerve is surrounded by a layer of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which is in continuity with the rest of the central nervous system, this central retinal artery has also to cross this CSF containing compartment. Because of the intrinsic pressure this CSF - corresponding to the intracranial pressure at the orbital level - the possibility exists that this pressure around the optic disc could affect the blood flow of the arteries that go through it.

The investigators will try to detect if a correlation exists between the optic nerve sheath diameter and the blood flow in the retrobulbar vessels of glaucoma patients.

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Key information

Conditions

Open Angle Glaucoma Eye Diseases Glaucoma Glaucoma, Open-Angle Low Tension Glaucoma Normal Tension Glaucoma Ocular Hypertension Optic Nerve Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

KU Leuven

Leuven, Flemish Brabant, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

About this study

Visual field testing will be performed.
Structural analysis of the retinal nerve fiber layer (through confocal microscopy)will be performed.
Color Doppler Imaging of the retrobulbar vessels will be performed. Peak and end diastolic velocities, resistivity index will be calculated from the Doppler waveform.
B-scan ultrasound of the optic nerve sheath diameter will be performed. the measure will take place at 3mm behind the globe.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

individuals over 18 years old
willing to sign an informed consent and able to comply with the requirements of the study
having no other ocular diseases besides glaucoma

Exclusion criteria

history of ocular trauma
intraocular surgery (except for cataract surgery)
eye disease (except glaucoma)
systemic diseases with ocular involvement like diabetes

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Flow velocity of retrobulbar vessels

Time frame: Participants will be followed for the duration of hospital stay, an expected average of 2 hours

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Correlation Between Ocular Blood Flow and the Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter in Patients With Primary Open-angle Glaucoma

Important dates

Study start: 2013
Primary completion: 2014
Study completion: 2014
First posted: Mar 1, 2013
Registry last updated: Feb 3, 2014

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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