All glaucomas follow a final common pathway of retinal
ganglion cell death, resulting in retinal thinning, optic nerve cupping and
loss of visual function.
Traditional means for assessment of glaucomatous damage include
intraocular pressure measurement, clinical observation of the optic nerve and
nerve fiber layer, and assessment of the visual field. New technologies allow objective,
quantitative evaluation of the optic nerve and retinal structures with a high
degree of precision. New methods
for measuring visual function assessment include technologies for early
detection with enhanced sensitivity and specificity. Techniques are currently being developed for objective,
quantitative visual function evaluation using electrophysiologic means. Since intraocular pressure is not an
adequate diagnostic test for the assessment of damage and injury in glaucoma,
advances in structural and functional measures of the optic nerve are critical.