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. 2017 Jun 29;6(3):24.
doi: 10.1167/tvst.6.3.24. eCollection 2017 Jun.

Impact of Glaucoma and Dry Eye on Text-Based Searching

Michelle J Sun  1 , Gary S Rubin  2 , Esen K Akpek  3 , Pradeep Y Ramulu  4
Affiliations

Impact of Glaucoma and Dry Eye on Text-Based Searching

Michelle J Sun et al. Transl Vis Sci Technol. .

Abstract

Purpose: We determine if visual field loss from glaucoma and/or measures of dry eye severity are associated with difficulty searching, as judged by slower search times on a text-based search task.

Methods: Glaucoma patients with bilateral visual field (VF) loss, patients with clinically significant dry eye, and normally-sighted controls were enrolled from the Wilmer Eye Institute clinics. Subjects searched three Yellow Pages excerpts for a specific phone number, and search time was recorded.

Results: A total of 50 glaucoma subjects, 40 dry eye subjects, and 45 controls completed study procedures. On average, glaucoma patients exhibited 57% longer search times compared to controls (95% confidence interval [CI], 26%-96%, P < 0.001), and longer search times were noted among subjects with greater VF loss (P < 0.001), worse contrast sensitivity (P < 0.001), and worse visual acuity (P = 0.026). Dry eye subjects demonstrated similar search times compared to controls, though worse Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) vision-related subscores were associated with longer search times (P < 0.01). Search times showed no association with OSDI symptom subscores (P = 0.20) or objective measures of dry eye (P > 0.08 for Schirmer's testing without anesthesia, corneal fluorescein staining, and tear film breakup time).

Conclusions: Text-based visual search is slower for glaucoma patients with greater levels of VF loss and dry eye patients with greater self-reported visual difficulty, and these difficulties may contribute to decreased quality of life in these groups.

Translational relevance: Visual search is impaired in glaucoma and dry eye groups compared to controls, highlighting the need for compensatory strategies and tools to assist individuals in overcoming their deficiencies.

Keywords: dry eye; glaucoma; visual fields; visual search.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Yellow Pages search times for glaucoma suspect controls, glaucoma patients, and dry eye patients. Legend: Times shown for three independent search trials done on different Yellow Pages excerpts.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Relationship between average search time and VF MD in control and glaucoma subjects.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Relationship between average search time and total OSDI scores in control and dry eye subjects.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Correlation between average search time and sustained reading time measured in the same individuals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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