Eccentric viewing training for low-vision rehabilitation in patients with central scotoma

Abstract

Background Eccentric viewing (EV), also known as eccentric fixation, involves identifying a functioning area of the retina that is as close to the fovea as possible and to learn to use it effectively, which is known as the preferred retinal locus. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of subjective EV training in vision rehabilitation in patients with central scotoma. Patients and methods The direction of EV was monitored in 33 low-vision patients with bilateral central scotomas. The preferred retinal locus was identified, and the preserved visual field was found. The patients were divided randomly into two groups regarding their use of optical low-vision devices with EV training. After 2 months of training, changes in near and far best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and reading speed were evaluated. Results After 2 months of EV training, the near BCVA and mean reading speed significantly improved, whereas the far BCVA did not significantly improve (0.1 LogMar on average). The mean near BCVA improved from 0.97±0.19 to 0.63±0.26 LogMar (P Conclusion EV training can be used as a very effective method for low-vision rehabilitation in patients presenting with central scotomas. It can give very good results by using simple and inexpensive equipment.