Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2025
Assessing Binocular Central Visual Field and Binocular Eye Movements in a Dichoptic Viewing Condition
Published on: July 21, 2020
Detection of visual field defects using Eye Movement Pediatric Perimetry in children with intracranial lesions:
Najiya Sundus K Meethal1,2, Jasper Robben1, Deepmala Mazumdar1,2
1Department of Neuroscience, Vestibular and Ocular Motor Research Group, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Eye Movement Pediatric Perimetry (EMPP) effectively detects visual field defects in children with intracranial lesions, offering a reliable alternative to traditional methods. This eye-tracking technique provides detailed central visual field characterization, aiding diagnosis and management.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Neurology
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Intracranial lesions (IL) can cause visual field defects (VFDs) in children, necessitating accurate diagnostic tools.
- Conventional visual field testing methods like Goldmann Visual Field (GVF) can be challenging for pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of Eye Movement Pediatric Perimetry (EMPP) in detecting VFDs associated with IL in children.
- To compare EMPP performance with standard GVF testing in this population.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 35 healthy controls and 19 children with IL.
- Participants underwent clinical evaluation, GVF, and a customized EMPP protocol using eye-tracking to record saccadic eye movements.
- Performance Scores (PS), Saccadic Reaction Times (SRTs), and an EMPP Index (EMPI) were calculated.
Main Results:
- EMPP showed no significant differences in PS or SRTs between controls and IL patients, indicating feasibility.
- EMPP had a lower failure rate (4/23) compared to GVF (7/23).
- EMPP provided comparable results to GVF for the central 30-degree visual field in 63% of cases.
Conclusions:
- EMPP is a reliable method for characterizing the central 30-degree visual field in children with IL.
- EMPP can supplement conventional methods, particularly for children who struggle with lengthy GVF tests.
- This eye-tracking approach offers a detailed assessment of VFDs in pediatric IL patients.
Abstract:
The study aimed at evaluating the feasibility of Eye Movement Pediatric Perimetry (EMPP) among children in detecting Visual Field Defects (VFDs) associated with Intracranial Lesions (IL). Healthy controls (n = 35) and patients diagnosed with IL (n = 19) underwent a comprehensive clinical evaluation followed by a Goldmann Visual Field (GVF) and a customised EMPP protocol. During EMPP, all the participants were encouraged to fixate on a central target and initiate Saccadic Eye Movement (SEM) responses towards randomly appearing peripheral stimuli. The SEM responses were recorded using an eye-tracking device and further inspected to calculate Performance Scores (PS), Saccadic Reaction Times (SRTs), and an EMPP Index (EMPI). The mean age (years) of the controls and cases were 7.3 (SD: 1.5) and 9.4 (SD: 2.4) respectively. Among the controls, the older children (≥7 years) showed statistically significantly faster SRTs (p = 0.008) compared to the younger group. The binocular EMPP measurements compared between the controls and the cases revealed no statistically significant differences in PS (p = 0.34) and SRT (p = 0.51). EMPP failed in 4 children because of data loss or unacceptably poor PS whereas GVF failed in 7 children due to unreliable subjective responses. Of the 16 reports, with regard to the central 30-degree VF, 63% of the outputs obtained from both methods were comparable. EMPP is a reliable method to estimate and characterise the central 30-degree VF in greater detail in children with IL. EMPP can supplement the conventional methods, especially in those children who fail to complete a long duration GVF test.
