The feasibility of short automated static perimetry in children.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the feasibility of short automated static perimetry using tendency-oriented perimetry in the pediatric population.


METHODS
Prospective observational case series.


METHODS
Fifty normal children age 6 through 12 years.


METHODS
Subjects underwent testing with the Octopus TOP-32 program on the Octopus 1-2-3 automated perimeter. Testing was performed in a typical clinical setting without adaptations to the perimeter, prolonged training, or the use of custom seating. Each eye was tested twice.


METHODS
Ability to complete automated static perimetry tests with both eyes. Mean sensitivity, mean defect, and loss of variance; gray scale and numeric representations of the field; duration of each test and of the entire session; subjective assessment of each test as normal or abnormal; calculation of test specificity. Comparisons by age and test number were performed.


RESULTS
All subjects successfully completed all four tests. The mean duration for each test was 2:30+/- 0.23 minutes. The average time for the whole session, including training, testing both eyes twice, and rest periods, was 25.8+/-4.87 minutes. Improvement in the specificity of the test (fewer abnormal tests in normal children) occurred in direct relation to subject age (R = 0.5).


CONCLUSIONS
Automated static perimetry using short, tendency-oriented programs can be successfully performed in normal children age 6 through 12 years in a typical clinical setting. Age was the best predictor of the mean sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy of the test, with the most reliable results obtained after 7 years of age. In children 6 to 7 years old, significant interindividual variability was present, and testing success was more dependent on the child's maturity and ability to concentrate. Short automated perimetry seems to be a promising tool for the evaluation of peripheral vision in pediatric patients.
Morales
J
J
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas 79430, USA.
Brown
S M
SM
D001331:Automation; D002648:Child; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015351:Vision Screening / Q000379:methods; D058609:Visual Field Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*