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.