Assessing the 'MD_evReader' iPad app as a technological aid to enhance reading in macular disease.

评估“MD_evReader”iPad 应用程序作为增强黄斑疾病患者阅读能力的技术辅助手段。

• 批准号: ES/L001934/1
• 负责人: Robin Walker
• 金额: $ 3.62万
• 依托单位: Royal Holloway University of London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2013 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ES%2FL001934%2F1
• 关键词: Assessing; MD_evReader; iPad; app; technological

ContextAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of registered blindness in the UK and is the single most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50. One adaptive strategy, used by individuals with AMD, is to view stimuli eccentrically using the peripheral regions of their retina that may be less impaired in AMD. This so-called 'eccentric viewing' (EV) technique forms part of a training program being implemented by the Macular Society and offers one way of adapting to the consequences of MD. One limitation of EV is that it is difficult to overcome the natural, strong, tendency to make eye-movements (called saccades) that are normally made to shift gaze and attention onto objects and words for detailed processing. The eye movement system has evolved specifically to shift gaze onto objects and trying to hold an eccentric gaze location is effortful and unnatural. Stable eccentric fixation is, however, an essential requirement of the EV technique and requires some degree of practice in order to maintain fixation whilst reading. Reading dynamic (horizontally scrolling) text does not require eye movements and is expected to improve reading performance and user experience of reading when using the EV technique. The project has two main objectives: the first is to evaluate reading performance and user experience of reading dynamic (scrolling) text; the second is to incorporate the app into the Macular Society's 'Eccentric viewing' training programme and in the 'Daily Living Champions' scheme.The first part of the project will be a formal investigation of reading in volunteers with macular disease when reading dynamic (scrolling) text presented with the MD_evReader. The main measures of interest are: reading rate (words per minute) and comprehension (how well the text was understood) and these will be compared with reading normal static lines of text. We will also use a modern video-based eye tracker to obtain detailed measures of eccentric viewing performance (percentage of time spent successfully holding an eccentric viewing position). In addition the user experience of reading with and without the app will also be evaluated using a questionnaire.The second objective is to incorporate the app as a training aid in the Macular Society's eccentric viewing (EV) training programme. The app will be used a method for demonstrating the eccentric viewing technique and will also allow people to practice the technique. The effectiveness of the app as a training aid will be evaluated using questionnaire measures of user experience and self-reports of the maintenance of the EV technique 6 months after initial training. These measures will also be obtained from individuals (controls) who have taken part in EV training sessions without having used the app as a training aid. The control group will include individuals who have had EV training before the start date of this project. The app will also be demonstrated as part of the Daily Living Champion (DLC) scheme as an example of a technological aid that can be used to improve reading.

背景相关性黄斑变性（AMD）是英国登记失明的主要原因，也是50岁以上人群视力丧失的最常见原因。AMD患者使用的一种适应性策略是使用AMD中受损较少的视网膜周边区域偏心地观察刺激。这种所谓的“偏心观察”（EV）技术是黄斑协会实施的培训计划的一部分，并提供了一种适应MD后果的方法。EV的一个局限性是难以克服自然的、强烈的眼球运动（称为扫视）倾向，眼球运动通常是为了将目光和注意力转移到物体和单词上以进行详细处理。眼球运动系统已经进化到专门将目光转移到物体上，并且试图保持偏心的目光位置是费力和不自然的。然而，稳定的偏心固定是EV技术的基本要求，并且需要一定程度的练习以在阅读时保持固定。阅读动态（水平滚动）文本不需要眼睛运动，并且预期在使用EV技术时改善阅读性能和阅读的用户体验。该项目有两个主要目标：第一是评估动态阅读的阅读性能和用户体验（滚动）文本;二是将该应用程序纳入黄斑协会的“偏心观看”培训计划和“日常生活冠军”计划。该项目的第一部分将是对患有黄斑疾病的志愿者在阅读动态时的阅读情况进行正式调查。（滚动）MD_evReader显示的文本。兴趣的主要衡量标准是：阅读率（每分钟的单词数）和理解力（文本的理解程度），这些将与阅读正常的静态文本行进行比较。我们还将使用现代视频眼动仪来获得偏心观看性能的详细测量（成功保持偏心观看位置所花费的时间百分比）。此外，还将通过问卷调查评估使用和不使用该应用程序的用户阅读体验。第二个目标是将该应用程序作为培训辅助工具纳入黄斑协会的偏心观察（EV）培训计划。该应用程序将用于演示偏心观看技术的方法，也将允许人们练习该技术。应用程序作为培训辅助工具的有效性将使用初始培训后6个月的用户体验问卷测量和EV技术维护的自我报告进行评估。这些措施也将从参加EV培训课程但未使用应用程序作为培训辅助工具的个人（对照组）中获得。对照组将包括在本项目开始日期之前接受EV培训的个人。该应用程序还将作为日常生活冠军（DLC）计划的一部分进行演示，作为可用于改善阅读的技术援助的一个例子。

项目成果

The value of Tablets as reading aids for individuals with central visual field loss: an evaluation of eccentric reading with static and scrolling text.

• DOI: 10.1111/opo.12296
• 发表时间: 2016-07
• 期刊: Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)
• 作者: Walker R;Bryan L;Harvey H;Riazi A;Anderson SJ
• 通讯作者: Anderson SJ