Impact of binocular visual field loss on driving performance in glaucoma patients

To evaluate the driving performance in young and middle-aged Chinese glaucoma patients with mild to severe visual field loss compared to those without glaucoma by using a driving simulation test.

Twenty-nine participants were included in this study: nine patients with glaucoma but pass the binocular Esterman visual field test, ten patients with glaucoma and fail the binocular Esterman visual field test, and ten age-matched healthy controls. A driving simulation test was designed as a frequency-based analysis of a lane-keeping task. The total performance error, the control-response amplitude and delay were calculated.

Esterman visual field test fail group showed the longest delay of control-response among three groups (P=0.02). And the delay in lane-keeping task was significantly associated with inferior field of better-eye (r=0.51, P=0.004) and integrated visual field (r=0.55, P=0.002).

Young and middle-aged glaucoma patients with binocular visual field loss suffered from a longer delay of response in driving simulation test, while inferior visual field having more impact than superior visual field.