Recovery of viual field function in the Optic Neuriti Treatment Trial Original Reearch Article

PURPOE: To ae the pattern of recovery of the viual field of patient with optic neuriti and to determine whether all affected portion of the viual field recover imilarly or certain portion of the viual field have greater recovery. METHOD: We reviewed the Humphrey Viual Field (Allergan-Humphrey Inc, an Leandro, California) data from the initial and 6-month examination for the involved and fellow eye of patient enrolled in the Optic Neuriti Treatment Trial (ONTT). The average threhold for each patient wa calculated for the entire teted field and for location within concentric ring having a radiu 3, 9, 15, 21, and 27 degree from fixation. The abolute amount of improvement and percentage improvement in average threhold between entry and the 6-month follow-up examination were determined for each patient. Thee meaurement were compared within the concentric ring to ae pattern of recovery. Abtract REULT: Patient with localized defect recovered 86% ± 20% of their initial defect in average threhold, wherea thoe having diffue defect recovered an average of 85% ± 23%. The area about fixation had the greatet relative recovery of threhold (87% ± 21% at 3 degree); the relative recovery decreaed with increaing eccentricity from fixation (P < .01). CONCLUION: Patient with optic neuriti have a marked return of viual field function that doe not appear to differ between patient with diffue or localized field defect. The reduced redundancy of axon in the periphery of the field compared with near fixation may be reponible for the greater relative recovery of threhold near fixation.