title: Visual functions and disability in diabetic retinopathy patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to find correlations between visual functions and visual disabilities in patients with diabetic retinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was carried out among 38 visually impaired diabetic retinopathy subjects at the Low Vision Clinic of B.P. Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies, Kathmandu. The subjects underwent assessment of distance and near visual acuity, objective and subjective refraction, contrast sensitivity, color vision, and central and peripheral visual fields. The visual disabilities of each subject in their daily lives were evaluated using a standard questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis between visual functions and visual disabilities index was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of subjects (42.1%) were of the age group 60-70 years. Best corrected visual acuity was found to be 0.73±0.2 in the better eye and 0.93±0.27 in the worse eye, which was significantly different at p=0.002. Visual disability scores were significantly higher for legibility of letters (1.2±0.3) and sentences (1.4±0.4), and least for clothing (0.7±0.3). Visual disability index for legibility of letters and sentences was significantly correlated with near visual acuity and peripheral visual field. Contrast sensitivity was also significantly correlated with the visual disability index, and total scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impairment of near visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and peripheral visual field correlated significantly with different types of visual disability. Hence, these clinical tests should be an integral part of the visual assessment of diabetic eyes.
authors.affiliation: B.P. Koirala Lions Centre for Ophthalmic Studies, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal. Electronic address: gs101lg@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Gauri Shankar
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Shrestha
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kathmandu University Medical College. Dhulikhel, Nepal.
authors.forename: Raju
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaiti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009390:Nepal; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Diabetic retinopathy; Disfunciones visuales; Funciones visuales; Retinopatía diabética; Visual disabilities; Visual functions