Metabolic insights into the pathophysiology of tuberculous meningitis in FFPE postmortem human brain tissue.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of central vision loss in individuals 50 years of age and older in developed countries, with the number of people affected with AMD expected to substantially increase in the future. AMD is classified according to the Beckman system as early AMD (eAMD), intermediate AMD (iAMD), and late AMD, with late AMD comprising two forms: neovascular AMD and geographic atrophy. Progression from iAMD to geographic atrophy is characterized by degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium, choriocapillaris, and photoreceptor layers, resulting in gradual and irreversible visual impairment. Progression to neovascular AMD involves macular neovascularization and risk of acute vision loss. Developing therapies targeting disease progression in eAMD and iAMD requires sensitive functional end points. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are measures reported directly by individuals and convey health-related quality of life and functional status. PROs can play a role as study end points in the evaluation of new therapies and are increasingly required by regulatory agencies to provide patient-centered data on treatment impact. Vision-related instruments used as PROs include the National Eye Institute-Vision Function Questionnaire. The National Eye Institute-Vision Function Questionnaire has limited application in AMD because many items refer to daytime activities under normal lighting conditions. Visual dysfunction in iAMD often manifests under low luminance, despite preserved standard visual acuity (VA), highlighting the need for PROs that capture visual difficulties in these settings. Delayed dark adaptation characterized by prolonged recovery of visual sensitivity after exposure to bright light in eAMD and iAMD is well established and may contribute to patient-reported difficulties in low-luminance environments.