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What do patients with glaucoma do when they search and look at everyday scenes?
Author(s) -
SMITH ND,
GARWAYHEATH DF,
CRABB DP
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2009.3353.x
Subject(s) - glaucoma , eye movement , fixation (population genetics) , optometry , visual field , audiology , medicine , psychology , visual search , ophthalmology , cognitive psychology , population , environmental health
Purpose To test the hypothesis that patients with bilateral glaucoma exhibit different eye movements compared to normally‐sighted subjects when viewing computer displayed photographs, or searching for features or items within them. Methods Thirteen glaucoma patients and 17 age‐matched subjects with normal vision viewed 28 randomised digital photographs of various everyday scenes displayed on a computer screen for 3 seconds each. Subjects were instructed to view the images as they would when looking at a slideshow. The subjects then viewed another set of images, but were timed to find a feature or item in the scene. Eye movements were simultaneously recorded using an Eyetracking system. Results In the passive viewing experiment, there was a significant reduction in the average number of saccades for glaucoma patients compared to controls (p<0.0001). In addition, average fixation duration was longer and the average area scanned was more restricted in patients compared to controls. In the search task glaucoma patients took, on average, longer to find the objects (p<0.0001) compared to controls. For this task, saccades were still reduced in number. In some cases, individual scanning patterns appeared related to the type and nature of the binocular visual field defect. Conclusion Eye movement behaviour in patients with glaucomatous defects in both eyes differ from normal‐sighted subjects when viewing images and photographs. These patients with glaucoma find it more difficult to locate items within scenes compared to normally sighted subjects. Acknowledgements: This work is generously supported by an unrestricted grant from the Special Trustees of Moorfields Eye Hospital.