Macular Degeneration Disease Glossary
Navigating a diagnosis of an age-related disease can be overwhelming, especially with all the new medical terms involved. Whether you're preparing for a doctor’s visit or simply want to better understand a macular degeneration diagnosis, this glossary serves as a quick reference to help you define and understand commonly used terms.
Dry age-related macular degeneration
The most common form of AMD in which the light-sensitive cells of the macula slowly break down, leading to loss of the sharp, fine-detail, “straight ahead” vision required for activities like reading, driving, recognizing faces, and seeing the world in color.
Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease
A rare form of Alzheimer’s that appears before 65 years of age, also known as younger-onset, and can be caused by a combination of genetics, environment, and lifestyle.
Familial Alzheimer’s disease
A rare, inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease that typically appears before 65 years of age.
Fovea
The pit or depression at the center of the macula that provides the greatest visual acuity.
Frontal lobes
A region at the front-most part of the brain that is involved in processing mood, planning for the future, setting goals, and judging priorities, among other functions.
Geographic atrophy
An advanced and severe form of dry age-related macular degeneration in which small clusters of cells degenerate and die (atrophy). In retinal images, these regions of dead and dying cells resemble a map, hence the term geographic atrophy.