Eye Movement Training and Suggested Gaze Strategies in Tunnel Vision - A Randomized and Controlled Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) causes peripheral vision loss, leading to impaired mobility and reduced horizontal eye movements.
• Diminished scanning behavior in RP patients negatively impacts navigation in real-world environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Exploratory Saccadic Training (EST) in improving mobility and dynamic visual field in RP patients.
• To assess the impact of EST on oculomotor responses and navigation performance.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled study involving 25 RP patients assigned to saccade (experimental) or reading (control) training.
• Eye movements were recorded using mobile infrared eye trackers during walking and obstacle avoidance tasks.
• Key outcome variables included response time, walking speed, obstacle collisions, and fixation patterns.

Main Results:

• Saccade training significantly increased preferred walking speed and decreased response time, with improvements persisting for 6 weeks.
• Average fixation duration was significantly reduced after saccade training.
• Eye movement range in RP patients approached that of healthy observers post-training.

Conclusions:

• Exploratory saccade training (EST) is beneficial for RP patients, enhancing navigation abilities.
• EST leads to shorter fixation durations and improved walking speed in a simulated real-world environment.