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Spatial correlation between localized decreases in exploratory visual search performance and areas of glaucomatous visual field loss

  • Glaucoma
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Visual search is a critical skill for several daily tasks and may be compromised in patients with impaired vision. The objective of this study was to study the relationships between exploratory visual search performance (EVSP) visual field (VF) sensitivity in patients with glaucoma.

Methods

Primary open-angle glaucoma patients (POAG; n = 29) and healthy (Control; n = 28) individuals with best corrected visual acuity better than 0.2 logMAR underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological examination, including Humphrey VF tests (24-2 SITA-Standard), and a monocular exploratory visual search digit-based task performed using a software that quantifies the time spent to find a targert on a random array of digits distributed on nine sequential screens. The screens were divided into five areas to topographically match with five VF sectors.

Results

As expected, POAG eyes had worse VF mean deviation (MD) sensitivity and EVSP than Controls (MD − 8.02 ± 7.88 dB vs − 1.43 ± 1.50 dB, p < 0.0001; and total EVSP time 106.42 ± 59.64 s vs 52.75 ± 19.07 s, p < 0.0001). MD sensitivity of both groups significantly correlated with total EVSP time (POAG r = − 0.45, p = 0.01; and Control r = 0.37, p = 0.049). A significant relationship was observed between EVSP (individual time) and both visual acuity (p = 0.006) and glaucoma diagnosis (p = 0.005). The mean sensitivity of the peripheral VF areas of the POAG group showed significant correlation with the individual search time in the corresponding spatial areas, except in the peripheral superior temporal area (r = − 0.35, p = 0.06).

Conclusion

These data indicate that POAG patients’ EVSP is impaired in topographically-correspondent VF areas with sensitivity loss. Visual search may be considered as a measure of impairment of daily activities in glaucoma patients, if further similar tests using binocular conditions corroborate our findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Ribeirão Preto Medical School- University of São Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900 – 12°. Andar. Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

    Cassia Senger, Marcelo Jordão Lopes da Silva, André Messias & Jayter Silva Paula

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Carlos Gustavo De Moraes

Authors
  1. Cassia Senger
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  2. Marcelo Jordão Lopes da Silva
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  3. Carlos Gustavo De Moraes
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  4. André Messias
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  5. Jayter Silva Paula
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Correspondence to Jayter Silva Paula.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. We obtained the approval from the local Ethics Committee of the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto – University of São Paulo (Protocol no. 660.663-2015).

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Senger, C., da Silva, M.J.L., De Moraes, C.G. et al. Spatial correlation between localized decreases in exploratory visual search performance and areas of glaucomatous visual field loss. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 257, 153–160 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-018-4164-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-018-4164-9

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