The Northern Ireland Sensory Ageing Study (NISA)

A visual function focused add-on study to the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA). There are three key aims:

1. Quantify age-related decline in a variety of visual functions within a populations based cohort.
2. Explore the mechanisms underlying age-related visual impairments.
3. Investigate how visual function impacts vision related quality of life.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Aging

Detailed Description

The investigators propose to put together a battery of test to assess different aspects of visual function and apply them to two groups of participants in order to explore differences in chronological and physiological aging.

Group 1: 25 participants from each decade from 20-90. Those from 50+ will be recruited from the NICOLA study and retinal/lens images assessed to confirm normality (drusen <63µm or clear retina, LOCS III <1). Those younger will be recruited via advertisements in the University and targeting friends and relatives or NICOLA participants. This will enable the rate of decline with age to be calculated. Linear, bilinear, and simple nonlinear candidate functions of parameter vs. age will be applied to determine which best characterises the change.

Group 2: 250 participants NICOLA participants aged 60 will be invited to participate; only those whose ocular images confirm normality will be included. This will enable mechanisms underlying individual differences in aging to be investigated. Normal aging will be determined from group 1 analysis and participants will be able to be categorised as aging well or aging poorly. Multivariate regression analysis will be used to investigate the relationship between visual function and lifestyle and environmental factors. Principal components analysis will be used to look at the relationships between visual parameters. These participants will also be asked to complete the NEIVFQ-25, to characterise visual function related quality of life and this will be compared with their measured visual function.

Visual function parameters measured after protocol refraction will include: Photopic and mesopic visual acuity and contrast sensitivity using City Occupational acuity-plus software17, near visual acuity, reading speed and SKILL card18, MAIA microperimetry and cone dark adaptation.19 Intra-ocular scatter will be assessed using the Oculus C-quant to assess the extent to which ocular factors are degrading vision.20 Three-point vernier acuity will also be measured as this is thought to stay stable throughout life.15 Time will be taken to ensure participants receive sufficient training to produce reliable thresholds.

All study visits will occur at the Welcome-Wolfson Clinic Research Facility.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 842

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Northern Ireland
    • Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, BT9 7AB
      • NI Clinical Research Facility

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

25 participants from each decade from 20-90. Those from 50+ will be recruited from the NICOLA study. 250 participants NICOLA participants aged 60 will be invited to participate; only those whose ocular images confirm normality will be included.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• No diagnosed ocular disease.
• Non-diabetic.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any diagnosed ocular disease.
• Diabetic.
• Cognitive impairment.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Group 1 - aged 20-90 years; 25 participants from each decade from 20-90. Those from 50+ will be recruited from the NICOLA study and retinal/lens images assessed to confirm normality.
Group 2: aged 60 years; Group 2: 250 participants NICOLA participants aged 60 will be invited to participate; only those whose ocular images confirm normality will be included.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Rate of decline of visual function with age	24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Queen's University, Belfast
• Collaborators: College of Optometrists
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ruth Hogg, Queen's University, Belfast

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 30, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 28, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 31, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): June 2, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 13, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 12, 2019
• Last Verified: August 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Visual Nonspecific
• Other Study ID Numbers: 14.25

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO