B-roll and photos available
Patient recruitment has begun on a clinical trial to find out if laser treatment decreases vision loss for people who may be at risk for severe age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
AMD is a common eye disease of the macula, a tiny area in the retina that helps produce sharp, central vision required for “straight ahead” activities such as reading, sewing, and driving. A person with AMD - the leading cause of severe visual impairment in Americans 60 years of age and older - loses this clear, central vision. An estimated 1.7 million Americans have AMD.
The clinical trial, called the Complications of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Prevention Trial (CAPT), is designed to assess the safety and effectiveness of low intensity laser treatment. Researchers hope to determine if low intensity laser treatment might prevent disease progression and loss of vision in people who are at risk for severe AMD. The CAPT will enroll a total of 1000 patients in 23 clinical centers across the United States during an 18-month period. The trial will last at least five years and is sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the Federal government’s National Institutes of Health.
“As ‘baby boomers’ age and a higher percentage of Americans reach age 60, AMD will become an even more serious medical issue,” said Dr. Carl Kupfer, director of the NEI. “The prevalence of AMD is expected to rise to 6.3 million by the year 2030, when even greater percentages of our population will have turned 60.”
All patients in the trial will have one eye treated with the laser and one eye not treated. The treatment is performed quickly and causes little, if any, discomfort. Both eyes will be carefully monitored throughout the trial to evaluate any eye or vision problems and determine the effects of the laser treatment. There is a small chance that the new treatment could increase the risk of vision loss. Any important information gained from this study will be shared with all CAPT patients, doctors, and the public as soon as it becomes available.
To be eligible for the study, patients must meet all of the following criteria:
- Age 50 or older.
- Large drusen, or yellow deposits, in the retinas of both eyes. These deposits can be viewed only by an eye care professional through a dilated eye exam.
- Vision of 20/40 or better in each eye.
- No other eye disease affecting vision.
- Available for five years of follow-up.
- No previous laser treatment to the retina.
Those who are interested in participating in the trial and want more information should check with their eye care professional to see if they meet all the study criteria listed above. A booklet listing study centers can be obtained from the CAPT Coordinating Center at 3535 Market Street, Suite 700, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-3309. Information also is available on the CAPT web site at http://www.med.upenn.edu/cpob/studies/documents/MOP_July_2000.EP.pdf, or on the NEI’s web site at http://www.nei.nih.gov/neitrials/static/study70.asp. A list of study centers is attached.
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CAPT Clinical Centers
| Arizona Donald W. Park, M.D. Retinal Consultants of Arizona, Ltd. 560 West Brown Road, Suite 2004 Mesa, AZ 85201 Contact: Jennifer Blaisdell Telephone: (602) 402-0409 Fax: (602) 833-6209 Donald W. Park, M.D. Retinal Consultants of Arizona, Ltd. 10615 West Thunderbird Boulevard Suite D-500 Sun City, AZ 85351 Contact: Jennifer Blaisdell Telephone: (602) 402-0409 Fax: (602) 833-6209 | Georgia Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D. Emory Eye Center Emory University School of Medicine 1365-B Clifton Road, 4th Floor, Rm. B4625 Atlanta, GA 30322 Contact: Ann Ervin, M.P.H. Telephone: (404) 778-2423 Fax: (404) 778-5128 |
| California Robert N. Johnson, M.D. Schatz, McDonald, Johnson, Ai One Daniel Burnham Court, Suite 210C San Francisco, CA 94109 Contact: Pat Wood, LVN Telephone: (415) 441-0906 Fax: (415) 441-0421 | Illinois Alice Lyon, M.D. Northwestern University Galter Pavilion, 15th Floor 675 N. St. Clair Street Chicago, IL 60611 Contact: Zuzanna Strugala Telephone: (312) 908-8040 Fax: (312) 908-9714 David Orth, M.D. Illinois Retina Associates, S.C. Irwin Retina Center 71 West 156th Street, Suite 400 Harvey, IL 60426 Contact: Toni Larsen, R.N. Telephone: (708) 915-6926 Fax: (708) 596-9820 |
| Florida Philip Rosenfeld, M.D. Bascom Palmer Eye Institute University of Miami School of Medicine 900 N.W. 17th Street Miami, FL 33136 Contact: Ileana Cantillo Telephone: (305) 326-6117 Fax: (305) 326-6417 Peter Reed Pavan, M.D. University of South Florida Eye Institute 12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard MDC Box 21 Tampa, FL 33612-4766 Contact: Sharon Millard, RN, COT Telephone: (813) 974-1530 Fax: (813) 974-5621 | Iowa James Folk, M.D. University of Iowa Dept. of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences 200 Hawkins Drive Iowa City, IA 55242-1091 Contact: Steven Wallace Telephone: (319) 353-6478 Fax: (319) 356-0363 |
| Maryland Andrew P. Schachat, M.D. The Johns Hopkins University Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute Johns Hopkins Hospital, Maumanee 205 600 North Wolfe Street Baltimore, MD 21287-9275 Contact: Ellen Greenberg, COT Telephone: (410) 955-3429 Fax: (410) 614-1683 | Kentucky Charles C. Barr, M.D. Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences University of Louisville School of Medicine Kentucky Lions Eye Research Institute 301 East Muhammed Ali Boulevard Louisville, KY 40202-1594 Contact: Greg Whittington, PsyS Telephone: (502) 852-7387 Fax: (502) 852-7298 |
| Massachusetts Jeffrey Heier, M.D. Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston Diseases & Surg. of the Retina & Vitreous 50 Staniford Street, Suite 600 Boston, MA 02114 Contact: Tammy Hanner Telephone: (617) 367-4800, ext. 714 Fax: (617) 723-7028 | North Carolina Andrew N. Antoszyk, M.D. Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Associates, P.A. 1600 East Third Street Charlotte, NC 28204 Contact: Lori Lundy, COMT Telephone: (704) 945-4113 Fax: (704) 944-4895 |
| Michigan Michael Trese, M.D. Associate Retinal Consultants, P.C. William Beaumont Hospital 3535 West Thirteen Mile Road, Suite 632 Royal Oak, MI 48073 Contact: Linda Vandell, R.N. Telephone: (248) 551-9866 Fax: (248) 551-7832 | New Jersey Steven R. Leff, M.D. Retina-Vitreous Center, P.A. 98 James Street, Suite 310 Edison, NJ 08820 Contact: Marge Lucido Telephone: (732) 363-3891 Fax: (732) 363-0403 Steven R. Leff, M.D. Retina-Vitreous Center, P.A. 525 Route 70 West, Suite B-14 Lakewood, NJ 08701 Contact: Marge Lucido Telephone: (732) 363-3891 Fax: (732) 363-0403 |
| Minnesota Dennis M. Robertson, M.D. Mayo Clinic 200 First Street, S.W. Rochester, MN 55905 Contact: Margaret Ruszczyk, CCRA Telephone: (507) 284-5052 Fax: (507) 284-4612 | Ohio Lawrence J. Singerman, M.D. Retina Associates of Cleveland 26900 Cedar Road, Suite 303 Cleveland, Ohio 44122 Contact: Stephanie Schura, COT Telephone: (800) 473-8462 Fax: (216) 831-1959 Frederick H. Davidorf, M.D. The Ohio State University Department of Ophthalmology 456 West 10th Avenue, Suite 5B Columbus, Ohio 43210-1228 Contact: Cynthia Taylor Telephone: (614) 293-8041 Fax: (614) 293-6180 |
| Missouri Gilbert Grand, M.D. Barnes Retina Institute 1 Barnes Hospital Plaza Suite 17413 East Pavilion St. Louis, MO 63110 Contact: Julie Binning, COT Telephone: (314) 367-1278 Fax: (314) 367-5764 Richard F. Dreyer, M.D. 2525 NW Lovejoy Avenue, Suite 100 Portland, OR 97210 Contact: Harold Crider Telephone: (503) 229-8472 Fax: (503) 725-1734 | Oregon Michael L. Klein, M.D. Casey Eye Institute 3375 S.W. Terwillager Boulevard Portland, OR 97201-4197 Contact: Susan Nolte Telephone: (503) 494-3055 Fax: (503) 494-7233 |
| Pennsylvania Juan E. Grunwald, M.D. Scheie Eye Institute 51 North 39th Street, Room 501 Philadelphia, PA 19104 Contact: Sharon Decker Telephone: (215) 662-8691 Fax: (215) 662-8025 | Photograph Reading Center Jeffrey Berger, M.D., Ph.D, Prin. Invest. Judy Alexander, Director CAPT Photograph Reading Center 3535 Market Street, Suite 700 Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309 Telephone: (215) 615-1515 Fax: (215) 615-1533 |
| Texas Gary Edd Fish, M.D. Texas Retina Associates 7150 Greenville Avenue, Suite 400 Dallas, TX 75231 Contact: Jean Arnwine Telephone: (214) 692-6941 Fax: (214) 739-5797 | NEI Representative Natalie Kurinij, Ph.D. National Eye Institute National Institutes of Health Executive Plaza South, Suite 350 6120 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7164 Bethesda, MD 20892-5983 Telephone: (301) 496-5983 Fax: (301) 402-0528 |
| Wisconsin Suresh R. Chandra, M.D. University of Wisconsin - Madison Dept. of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences 2880 University Avenue, Room 224 Madison, WI 53705 Contact: Wendy Walker, COA Telephone: (608) 263-9035 Fax: (608) 262-6222 |
Resource Centers
Chairman’s Office
Stuart L. Fine, M.D.
Scheie Eye Institute
Department of Ophthalmology
Univ. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
51 N. 39th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Telephone: (215) 662-8142
Coordinating Center
Maureen G. Maguire, Ph.D., Director
CAPT Coordinating Center
3535 Market Street, Suite 700
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3309
Telephone: (215) 615-1500
Fax: (215) 615-1531