Methods of Visual Field Testing in Glaucoma: How They Differ and What Each Reveals скачать в хорошем качестве

Methods of Visual Field Testing in Glaucoma: How They Differ and What Each Reveals

This audio article is from VisualFieldTest.com (https://visualfieldtest.com) . Read the full article here: https://visualfieldtest.com/en/method... Test your visual field online: https://visualfieldtest.com Support the show so new episodes keep coming: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2563091/su... Excerpt: Introduction Glaucoma often progresses without symptoms, quietly damaging the optic nerve and shrinking the visual field (the full scope of what you can see). Periodic visual field testing is essential to catch this loss early. These tests map what you see when fixating straight ahead, helping doctors monitor glaucoma and adjust treatment. Visual field tests vary widely in how they work and what they measure. Standard Automated Perimetry (SAP) – the kind done with a Humphrey Field Analyzer – is the most common test in clinics () (). Specialized perimeters and new technologies (like virtual reality or tablet apps) are emerging. Each method has strengths and limits in speed, comfort, accuracy, and early detection. This article reviews the main types of glaucoma visual field tests: how they work, what they measure, and how they differ. It will help patients understand the tests they might encounter and guide doctors on which tool best fits different needs.Conventional Visual Field Testing Automated Static Perimetry (Humphrey, Octopus) The Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) and similar machines (e.g. Octopus) perform static automated perimetry, the current clinical standard (). In these bowl-shaped devices, the patient stares at a fixed central point while small spots of light appear one by one at locations across the field (typically within 24° or 30° of center). For each spot, the patient presses a button if they see the light. The machine automatically adjusts light intensity (“threshold”) to find the dimmest visible spot at each point. Eye-tracking and random “catch” trials (e.g. sometimes no light is shown) check reliability. SAP uses white-on-white stimuli, meaning gray lights on a white background (). A built-in database compares the patient’s sensitivity map to normal values. The results include measures like Mean Deviation (MD) and a visual field index, which summarize how much vision has been lost overall. In practice SAP detects and tracks the classic glaucomatous defects (such as nasal steps or arcuate scotomas) and shows progression over time () (). Static perimetry is highly quantitative, but it has downsides. The test can take 5–10 minutes per eye, requiring concentration (patients sometimes get tired or distracted) (). Errors from fatigue, tiredness or inattention (“false positives” or “false negatives”) are tracked, but variability remains an issue (). In practice, many patients need multiple tests before a stable baseline is found. On the plus side, SAP results are well-understood: clinicians know how to interpret an HFA printout. Special algorithms like SITA Fast or SITA Faster speed up testing while keeping results accurate (). Newer SAP protocols (e.g. adding extra central test points) may boost early detection and reduce test time (). Overall, automated static perimetry is the workhorse of glaucoma care. Manual (Kinetic) Perimetry – Goldmann Perimeter Before computers, Goldmann perimetry was the standard. A trained technician manually moved a bright light of fixed size and intensity across a hemispherical bowl. The patient signaled when they first saw the moving light, tracing out isopters (lines of equal sensitivity) across the field. This kinetic method can map very wide Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2563091/su...)