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

Citation

Burton R, Saunders LJ & Crabb DP (2015) Areas of the visual field important during reading in patients with glaucoma. Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology, 59, pp. 94-102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-014-0359-8

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.

Journal
Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology: Volume 59