Evidence mapPaperPMID 41558771Full record

ArticleBMJ open ophthalmology2026

Selecting measures of visual function to classify diabetic retinopathy status: a cross-sectional study.

David M Wright, Usha Chakravarthy, Radha Das, Katie W Graham, Timos T Naskas, Tunde Peto, Ruth E Hogg

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Article in BMJ open ophthalmology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

David M WrightCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK d.wright@qub.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8948-3691
Usha ChakravarthyCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2606-3734
Radha DasCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Katie W GrahamCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Timos T NaskasCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Tunde PetoCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6265-0381
Ruth E HoggCentre for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9413-2669

Funding

Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo identify combinations of up to three visual function tests with the best performance for classifying diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity stage. To describe in detail the measurements from a comprehensive set of visual function tests.

methods1901 eyes (1032 participants) underwent nine visual function tests. Fundus, ultra-widefield and optical coherence tomography images were graded for DR and diabetic macular oedema (DMO). Three classification tasks were set: (1) distinguishing diabetes mellitus (DM) no DR from healthy with no DM, (2) DR no DMO from DM no DR and (3) DR with DMO from DR no DMO. Ensemble machine learning models for all one-way, two-way and three-way combinations of visual function variables were compared using area under the curve (AUC).

resultsThe top 30 models for each task achieved high accuracy, with AUC ≥0.94. For task 1, 17/30 top models contained distance visual acuity. Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity and low luminance visual acuity also featured highly. For task 2, 19/30 models contained mesopic microperimetry. Near visual acuity, matrix microperimetry and reading index featured highly. For task 3, 17/30 models contained distance visual acuity. Smith-Kettlewell low luminance near visual acuity and near visual acuity featured highly. In a subset of eyes where perimetry was not performed, reading index featured in 22, 21 and 22 of the top models for tasks 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

conclusionsThese findings will enable researchers and those planning clinical trials to select the best combination of visual function tests for distinguishing stages of diabetic eye disease.

Indexed as

Diabetic RetinopathyVisual AcuityVisual FieldsAgedContrast SensitivityCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMacular EdemaMaleMiddle AgedTomography, Optical CoherenceRetinaVision

Identifiers

PMID41558771
PMCPMC12820872

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.