Fatigue effect within 10 degrees visual field in automated perimetry

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Visual Science

Background:

• Visual field testing is crucial for diagnosing and monitoring optic nerve diseases.
• Fatigue can potentially affect the reliability of visual field test results.
• Understanding fatigue effects is important for accurate visual field assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of visual fatigue on automated perimetry within a 10-degree visual field.
• To compare fatigue effects in normal volunteers, patients with optic neuritis, and patients with glaucoma.

Main Methods:

• Automated perimetry (Octopus 201, Program 61) was used to test a 10-degree visual field.
• 25 test locations were assessed three times in 10 eyes for each group: normal volunteers, recovered optic neuritis, and glaucoma patients.
• The mean sensitivity of eight selected points was compared across the three measurements.

Main Results:

• Normal subjects and patients with optic neuritis did not exhibit significant visual fatigue within the tested visual field.
• Patients with glaucoma demonstrated a decline in mean sensitivity, indicating fatigue during the third measurement.
• The findings suggest differential effects of fatigue based on ocular health status.

Conclusions:

• Visual field fatigue is a relevant factor in glaucoma patients during repeated perimetry testing within a 10-degree visual field.
• Automated perimetry results in glaucoma patients may be influenced by fatigue, potentially impacting diagnostic accuracy.
• Further research is warranted to explore fatigue mitigation strategies in visual field testing for glaucoma.