A clinical method to assess the effect of visual loss on the ability to perform activities of daily living. Issue 5 (12th January 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wei, Hong; Sawchyn, Andrea K; Myers, Jonathan S; Katz, L Jay; Moster, Marlene R; Wizov, Sheryl S; Steele, Marianne; Lo, David; Spaeth, George L
• Is Part Of: British journal of ophthalmology. Volume 96:Issue 5(2012)
• Page Start: 735
• Page End: 741
• Publication Date: 2012-01-12
• Subjects: Clinical -- performance -- quality -- AARV -- field of vision -- anterior chamber -- aqueous humour -- epidemiology -- glaucoma -- clinical trial -- vision -- intraocular pressure -- treatment surgery -- diagnostic tests/investigation -- optic nerve; Ophthalmology -- Periodicals; 617.7
• DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2011-300093
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0007-1161

Abstract

Abstract : Background/aims: To develop a clinically applicable, performance-based measure of the ability to perform visually related activities. Methods: 99 patients with glaucoma and 21 subjects with a normal ocular examination completed a nine-item performance-based test (the Assessment of Ability Related to Vision (AARV)), received a standard ophthalmic clinical examination and answered the questions on the National Eye Institute's Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25). All combinations of two, three or four items of the full nine-item AARV test were analysed, and their scores were compared with the full AARV scores and with clinical measures. Results: The correlation of four items (detecting motion, reading signs, finding objects and navigating an obstacle course) reduced test time from 60±5 min to 14±4 min and yielded results highly related to the nine-item test, including maintaining the relationship with clinical measures and with the NEI-VFQ-25. Conclusion: A compressed AARV correlates highly with the full test, with a method of evaluating quality of life, and with clinical measures, yet takes on average 14 min to perform. As such, it may provide a clinically useful method of evaluating the worsening effects of illness and the benefits of treatments that affect visual loss on the ability to perform visually related activities.