How Much Do Clinical and Microperimetric Findings Affect Reading Speed in Low Vision Patients with Age-related Macular Degeneration?

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To investigate the factors affecting the reading speed of patients with central scotoma due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Materials and Methods: We included 63 eyes of 63 patients with AMD who applied to our low vision clinic between August 2018 and September 2019 in this prospective study. We evaluated socio-demographic characteristics, eye examination findings and Minnesota Low Vision Reading Test (MNREAD) results. We used the MAIA microperimeter device to evaluate the properties of the preferred retinal locus for fixation (PRL) of the patients. Evaluations included the assessment of the effects of all parameters on reading speed.

Results: The PRL was most commonly in the nasal (31%) and superior (26%) quadrants. Twenty-nine percent of the cases preferred the left visual field. PRL localization had no effect on reading speed, whereas, fixation stability, educational status, presence of foveal absolute scotoma, reading acuity and duration of reading interruption were found to have the most significant effects. Multiple regression analysis showed that reading speed decreased by 67 units in the presence of unstable fixation, by 17 units in the presence of foveal absolute scotoma, by 3 units with every 0.1 increase in logMAR value, and by 1.7 units with every 1-year increase in reading interruption. Additionally, being a university graduate was associated with an increased reading speed (by 18 units)

Conclusion: Increased reading performance is one of the factors that can improve quality of life. The factors found to affect the reading speed in the current study may guide the rehabilitation process in low vision patients.

KEYWORDS:

• Low vision rehabilitation
• microperimetry
• reading speed
• preferred retinal locus
• central scotoma

Highlights

• Reading speed is strongly associated with fixation stability.

• Reading speed is associated with a number of factors at varying degrees.

• The presence for absolute foveal scotoma is more determinant in the reading speed then the size of the scotoma.

• There is no relationship between reading speed and the retinal locus preferred for fixation.

Author contributions

Conceptualization; Deniz Altinbay, Aysun Idil, Data Curation; Deniz Altinbay, Esra Sahli, Formal Analysis; Deniz Altinbay, Esra Sahli, Aysun Idil, Investigation; Deniz Altinbay, Esra Sahli, Methodology; Deniz Altinbay, Esra Sahli, Aysun Idil Project administration; Aysun Idil, Supervision; Aysun Idil, Validation; Aysun Idil, Visualization; Esra Sahli, Roles/Writing-original draft; Deniz Altinbay, Writing-review&editing; Deniz Altinbay, Esra Sahli, Aysun Idil

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by Ankara University Scientific Research Projects Directorate [Project number 18L0230015].