PBM treatment compared to sham or no treatment for non‐exudative AMD

Patient or population: people with non‐exudative AMD (AREDS 2 to 4)
Setting: ophthalmology clinics
Intervention: PBM treatment
Comparison: no treatment or sham treatment

Best‐corrected visual acuity at 12 months [logMAR]

Measured on the logMAR scale, range ‐1.3 to 1.0. Lower scores represent better vision.

‐

90
(2 RCTs)

⊕⊕⊝⊝^a,b
LOW

Contrast sensitivity at Level E [18 cycles/degree] at 12 months

Higher scores represent better contrast sensitivity.

‐

30

(1 RCT)

⊕⊕⊝⊝^a,b
LOW

Near vision

Low luminance deficit score

Reading speed

Self‐reported visual function at 12 months

Measured with VFQ‐48 questionnaire. Higher scores represent better reported visual function.

‐

47
(1 RCT)

⊕⊕⊝⊝^a,b
LOW

Adverse events:

AMD progression at 12 months

Defined as increased drusen volume or onset of advanced AMD.

Conversion to exudative AMD at 12 months

Assessed by clinical examination and retinal

optical coherence tomography.

RR 0.79 (0.41 to 1.53)

50 (1 RCT)

⊕⊕⊝⊝^a,b LOW

RR 0.97
(0.17 to 5.44)

96
(2 RCTs)

⊕⊝⊝⊝^b,c
VERY LOW

*The risk in the intervention group (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI).

AMD: age‐related macular degeneration; AREDS: age‐related eye disease study classification; CI: confidence interval; OR: odds ratio; PBM: photobiomodulation; RR: risk ratio

GRADE Working Group grades of evidence
High‐certainty: we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect
Moderate‐certainty: we are moderately confident in the effect estimate. The true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different.
Low‐certainty: our confidence in the effect estimate is limited. The true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect.
Very low‐certainty: We have very little confidence in the effect estimate. The true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of effect.