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Eccentric refractive correction benefits patients with central visual field loss
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Optical eccentric refractive correction may improve the resolution acuity of patients who have central visual field loss, according to a small study.
Linda Lundstrom, PhD, and colleagues investigated how eccentric refractive correction benefited the resolution and detection thresholds in seven patients with central visual field loss. The researchers compared these patients with a control group of four healthy subjects with normal vision.
Investigators used the PowerRefractor instrument and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront analyzer to analyze participants' refractive corrections, which were measured at the preferred retinal location for patients with central visual field loss and at 20° off-axis for controls.
In patients with central visual field loss, "the resolution and detection thresholds varied between individuals because of different preferred retinal locations and cause of visual field loss. However, all seven [central visual field loss] subjects showed improved visual function for resolution and detection tasks with eccentric correction compared with central correction," the authors said.
The control group showed no improvements in high-contrast resolution, they noted.
The study is published in the November issue of Optometry & Vision Science.