Motion Displacement Test is accurate in screening for glaucoma

Image: PD 

1. Moorsfield Motion Displacement Test (MMDT) had 86% sensitivity and 95% specificity in diagnosing glaucoma. 

2. Probability of true damage was significantly higher among the glaucoma group (15.0%) vs. healthy subjects (0.9%; p<0.0001). 

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good) 

Study Rundown: This study identified a cheap, and rapid method of screening for glaucoma with the Moorsfield Motion Displacement Test (MMDT). Given the expenses involved with formal visual field testing, MMDT appears to do an excellent job at estimate visual field loss. This study demonstrated that the test had a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 95%. While the study appears promising in suggesting an alternative to Humphrey visual field testing, there were several limitations. First, subjects with false-positive rate over 15% were excluded, which significantly affects these metrics. In addition, the glaucoma subjects were significantly older than the healthy subjects, introducing potential confounder. Nonetheless, the study suggests a promising test that could be used in resource-limited settings to gauge the prevalence of glaucoma.

Click to read the study in Ophthalmology

Relevant Reading: Structure and Function in Glaucoma: The Relationship between a Functional Visual Field Map and an Anatomic Retinal Map

In-Depth [diagnostic study]: The MMDT is a test to assess visual fields that uses moving stimuli in 31 locations on a computer screen. The study attempted to gauge the sensitivity and specificity of the MMDT in distinguishing healthy from glaucomatous eyes. Approximately 80 subjects with glaucoma and 350 healthy subjects were included in the study. All had their optic discs evaluated with diagnoses confirmed. MMDT was performed on all patients.  Measure of probability of true damage (PTD) was calculated for each of the 31 test locations, with a global PTD value calculated.  The test was found to have 86% sensitivity and 95% specificity when a global PTD value of 2.5 was used. Global PTD among the glaucomatous group was found to be significantly elevated at 15% compared to 0.9% in the healthy group (p<0.0001).

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