Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2008

Mentor: Karanjit S Kooner MD
Department: Ophthalmology
Room number: E 5.406
Mail Code: 9057
Phone number: 214/648-4733
E-mail: Karanjit. Kooner@UTSouthwestern.edu
Project title: Racial Influences on Medical Therapy in Glaucoma.

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): 102004-073

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects): Patient -based.

Brief Description of Project: The study is designed to retrospectively evaluate racial influences on drug response for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Outcome variables are (1) need for surgery for uncontrolled intraocular pressure or (2) intraocular pressure reduction equal to or greater then 20% over two consecutive visits. The working hypothesis is that 50% of black individuals will require surgery to control intraocular pressure compared to 30% of white individuals. To test this hypothesis a sample size of 500 patients in each group will give a power of 84% with alpha at 0.05. Intraocular pressure readings will be recorded pre-treatment and followed at 1 month, 3 month, and 6 months after treatment initiation and every 6 months thereafter. The type and number of anti-glaucoma medications used will also be recorded along with cup-disc ratios and visual field analysis.