New data suggest that the Multi-Luminance Shape Discrimination Test (MLSDT) provides a reliable measure of functional vision in patients with severe retinal degeneration. In a prospective observational study of 35 participants, including 25 with advanced retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and 10 with normal vision, MLSDT scores correlated with visual acuity (VA), visual fields (VF), and patient-reported outcomes, and were sensitive to measurable changes over time.

The study, published earlier this month in Documenta Ophthalmologica, evaluated patients’ ability to identify and interact with objects under varying light conditions. MLSDT demonstrated test-retest reliability above 0.50 and strong correlations with VA (greater than −0.7), as well as moderate to strong correlations with VF measures and patient-reported outcomes. Among patients with RP, a 0.3 LogMAR difference in VA corresponded to an approximately 2-level change in MLSDT scores.

MLSDT was used as a secondary endpoint in the phase 2b/3 RESTORE trial of MCO-010, an investigational therapy for RP. At 52 weeks, most treated patients improved by at least 2 luminance levels. These findings suggest that MLSDT may serve as a complementary measure of functional vision in both clinical trials and practice, particularly for patients with advanced disease.