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Areas of the visual field important during reading in patients with glaucoma

  • Clinical Investigation
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Abstract

Purpose

To determine the areas of the binocular visual field (VF) associated with reading speed in glaucomatous patients with preserved visual acuity (VA).

Materials and methods

Fifty-four patients with glaucoma (mean age ± standard deviation 70 ± 8 years) and 38 visually healthy controls (mean age 66 ± 9 years) had silent reading speeds measured using non-scrolling text on a computer setup. Participants completed three cognitive tests and tests of visual function, including the Humphrey 24-2 threshold VF test in each eye; the results were combined to produce binocular integrated VFs (IVFs). Regression analyses using the control group to correct for cognitive test scores, age and VA were conducted to obtain the IVF mean deviation (MD) and total deviation (TD) value from each IVF test location. Concordance between reading speed and TD, assessed using R 2 statistics, was ranked in order of importance to explore the parts of the IVF most likely to be linked with reading speed.

Results

No significant association between IVF MD value and reading speed was observed (p = 0.38). Ranking individual thresholds indicated that the inferior left section of the IVF was most likely to be associated with reading speed.

Conclusions

Certain regions of the binocular VF impairment may be associated with reading performance even in patients with preserved VA. The inferior left region of patient IVFs may be important for changing lines during reading.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the help of Fiona Glen for data collection, Ryo Asaoka for help with patient recruitment and Nicholas Smith for extensive technical help with the experiment. This study was conducted as part of a programme of work funded by an unrestricted grant from the Merck Investigator-Initiated Studies Programme.

Conflicts of interest

R. Burton, None; L. J. Saunders, None; D. P. Crabb, None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Optometry and Visual Science, City University London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK

    Robyn Burton, Luke J. Saunders & David P. Crabb

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  1. Robyn Burton
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  2. Luke J. Saunders
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  3. David P. Crabb
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Correspondence to David P. Crabb.

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Burton, R., Saunders, L.J. & Crabb, D.P. Areas of the visual field important during reading in patients with glaucoma. Jpn J Ophthalmol 59, 94–102 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-014-0359-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-014-0359-8

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