Development of a battery of functional tests for low vision.
OBJECTIVE
We describe the development and evaluation of a battery of tests of functional visual performance of everyday tasks intended to be suitable for assessment of low vision patients.


METHODS
The functional test battery comprises-Reading rate: reading aloud 20 unrelated words for each of four print sizes (8, 4, 2, & 1 M); Telephone book: finding a name and reading the telephone number; Medicine bottle label: reading the name and dosing; Utility bill: reading the due date and amount due; Cooking instructions: reading cooking time on a food package; Coin sorting: making a specified amount from coins placed on a table; Playing card recognition: identifying denomination and suit; and Face recognition: identifying expressions of printed, life-size faces at 1 and 3 m. All tests were timed except face and playing card recognition. Fourteen normally sighted and 24 low vision subjects were assessed with the functional test battery. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and quality of life (National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 [NEI-VFQ 25]) were measured and the functional tests repeated. Subsequently, 23 low vision patients participated in a pilot randomized clinical trial with half receiving low vision rehabilitation and half a delayed intervention. The functional tests were administered at enrollment and 3 months later.


RESULTS
Normally sighted subjects could perform all tasks but the proportion of trials performed correctly by the low vision subjects ranged from 35% for face recognition at 3 m, to 95% for the playing card identification. On average, low vision subjects performed three times slower than the normally sighted subjects. Timed tasks with a visual search component showed poorer repeatability. In the pilot clinical trial, low vision rehabilitation produced the greatest improvement for the medicine bottle and cooking instruction tasks.


CONCLUSIONS
Performance of patients on these functional tests has been assessed. Some appear responsive to low vision rehabilitation.
Dougherty
Bradley E
BE
The Ohio State University, College of Optometry, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
Martin
Scott R
SR
Kelly
Corey B
CB
Jones
Lisa A
LA
Raasch
Thomas W
TW
Bullimore
Mark A
MA
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001288:Attention; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011788:Quality of Life; D011932:Reading; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014787:Vision Tests; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D014792:Visual Acuity