Assessment of the Ability to Distinguish Odors in Glaucoma Patients

NCT00304824 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 009-Guk-2004-002
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 30
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. The key feature of glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve head with loss of retinal ganglion cells and local tissue remodeling. Neuronal cell death in glaucoma occurs by apoptotic mechanisms1. Apoptosis of neurons also plays a major role in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. An association between glaucoma and these disorders has been described 2-4. Furthermore, it has been reported that the olfactory function is disturbed in these neurodegenerative diseases5-6. We hypothesize that similar olfactory alterations may occur in glaucoma which is in fact a local neurodegenerative disease.

Conditions

Glaucoma

Keywords

Glaucoma; Olfactory functions; Sniffing Sticks Test

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 17 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

glaucoma patients

You may qualify if:

• Chronic open-angle glaucoma with typical glaucomatous disc and visual field damage.

You may not qualify if:

• Occludable iridocorneal angles
• History of current, chronic or recurrent inflammatory eye disease
• History of retinal or neuroophthalmologic disease that could result in visual field defects
• Need for any concomitant medications that may interfere with the evaluation of olfactory function
• Patients with a significant history and/or active alcohol or drug abuse (significant is defined as that which in the opinion of the investigator may either put the patient at risk because of participation in the study or may influence the results of the study or the patient's ability to participate in the study), smokers
• History of olfactory disturbance related to identifiable local factors and any local condition that could lead to hyposmia/anosmia or interfere with the olfactory function, such as polyps, chronic sinus infection, sub(acute) viral or bacterial infection, history of sinus surgery

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland: lead

Related Links

• University Basel, Switzerland

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Glaucoma

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Ocular Hypertension; Eye Diseases

Study Officials

• Selim Orgul

  University Eye Hospital Basel, Switzerland

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE ONLY
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 17, 2006
• First Posted: March 20, 2006
• Study Start: October 1, 2004
• Study Completion: November 1, 2005
• Last Updated: September 26, 2008

Record last verified: 2008-09