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Visual stabilization of posture in persons with central visual field loss
K A Turano1, G Dagnelie, S J Herdman
1Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
|July 1, 1996
Summary
People with central visual field loss (CFL) have a reduced ability to use vision for posture stabilization. Image-displacement thresholds are key predictors of visual stabilization in individuals with CFL.
Area of Science:
- Vision science
- Human physiology
- Neurology
Background:
- Postural stability relies on visual, somatosensory, and vestibular inputs.
- Central visual field loss (CFL) may impair the visual contribution to balance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare visual stabilization of posture in individuals with CFL versus normal vision.
- To identify visual factors predicting postural stabilization in CFL.
Main Methods:
- Posture sway was measured in 19 CFL and 20 normal vision subjects under varying visual and somatosensory conditions.
- Central visual fields, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and image-displacement thresholds were assessed.
Main Results:
- Individuals with CFL exhibited a significantly smaller visual contribution to posture stabilization (29% reduction in sway) compared to normal vision (41%).
- Image-displacement thresholds explained 45% of the variance in visual stabilization magnitude for CFL subjects.
Conclusions:
- Reduced visual stabilization in CFL may stem from an inability to utilize visual self-motion cues.
- Image-displacement thresholds are critical for visual-dependent postural control in CFL.