A Portable Platform for Evaluation of Visual Performance in Glaucoma Patients

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness, often associated with visual field defects.
• Assessing functional visual deficits beyond standard perimetry is crucial for predicting real-world risks in glaucoma patients.
• Existing tests may not fully capture the impact of central visual field loss on daily activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the PERformance CEntered Portable Test (PERCEPT), a novel tablet-based visual function assessment.
• To evaluate PERCEPT's efficacy in detecting visual performance deficits in glaucoma patients.
• To determine PERCEPT's ability to predict a history of falls and motor vehicle crashes.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 71 glaucoma patients and 59 controls.
• PERCEPT utilizes a task of increasing difficulty to detect central visual field loss.
• Subjects performed orientation discrimination and peripheral stimulus detection tasks; Useful Field of View (UFOV) was also administered.

Main Results:

• PERCEPT processing speed was significantly impaired in glaucoma patients compared to controls (P<0.001).
• PERCEPT demonstrated a stronger association with crash and fall history than UFOV.
• Increased PERCEPT processing speed impairment correlated with higher odds of motor vehicle crashes (OR=2.69) and falls (IRR=1.95).

Conclusions:

• The portable PERCEPT effectively detects functional visual deficits in glaucoma.
• PERCEPT results are significantly associated with a history of motor vehicle crashes and falls.
• This tool offers a promising method for assessing glaucoma-related functional impairments and risks.