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- Title
Assessment of vision-related quality of life in patients with homonymous visual field defects.
- Authors
Eleni Papageorgiou; Gregor Hardiess; Frank Schaeffel; Horst Wiethoelter; Hans-Otto Karnath; Hanspeter Mallot; Birgitt Schoenfisch; Ulrich Schiefer
- Abstract
Abstract Background and purpose  Homonymous visual field defects (HVFDs) are among the most common disorders that occur in the elderly after vascular brain damage and can have a major impact on quality of life (QOL). Aims of this study were to describe the vision-targeted, health-related QOL in patients with HVFDs after cerebrovascular lesion, and to determine the relationship between patientsâ self-reported difficulties and the characteristics of HVFDs in the binocular visual field. Methods  The German version of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) was used. NEI-VFQ-25 scores for patients were compared to reference values of healthy German subjects from Franke (Z Med Psychol 7:178â184, 1999). Extent and location of absolute HVFDs were assessed by binocular semi-automated kinetic perimetry (SKP) within the 90� visual field. Correlations of the NEI-VFQ-25 scores of patients with the area of sparing within the affected hemifield (A-SPAR) were estimated by Spearmanâs r s. Results  The mean NEI-VFQ-25 composite score for 33 patients (time span after brain injury at least 6 months) was 77.1, which was significantly lower (pâpâr sâ=â0.38) was observed. Conclusions  Our findings indicate that detectable decrements in vision-targeted, health-related QOL are observed in patients with homonymous visual field loss. A relationship of the perceived visual functioning with objective parameters is by definition difficult; however, understanding what components of visual function affect certain visual tasks, would help in developing more efficient, clinical assessment strategies. The results reveal a tendency for increasing QOL with advancing size of the area of sparing within the affected hemifield (A-SPAR). The lack of a strong correlation between NEI-VFQ-25 subscales and A-SPAR suggests that an assessment of the visual field may not accurately reflect patientsâ perceived difficulty in visual tasks. Additional consideration of visual exploration via eye and head movements may improve the correlation between visual function and its perception.
- Subjects
VISUAL fields; EYE abnormalities; BRAIN damage; QUALITY of life
- Publication
Graefe's Archive of Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology, 2007, Vol 245, Issue 12, p1749
- ISSN
0721-832X
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s00417-007-0644-z