Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose:To investigate the influence of visual impairment on social fuction in nystagmus. Methods: A questionnniare including 20 questions relating to social functioning was designed and sent together with the Visual Function 14 questionnaire (VF14) to 1013 members of the "Nystagmus Network" - a patient organisation for nystagmus sufferers in the UK. Parents were given the option of a questionnaire for their children if they felt it appropriate for them to complete this in addition. The lower the scores, the worse the visual or social function (range 0-100). Results of the VF14 and social score were compared by regression analysis. Results: 39% of envelopes were returned containing 180 adult, 233 parent and 124 child questionnaires. Mean age of patients was 41 years (16-77)for adults and 7.5 years (0-18) for children. The most common cause for nystagmus was idiopathic for both groups. Mean adult parental and child VF14 scores were 54.7, 72.5 and 69.0 respectively (ranges 0-100, 14.6-100, 6.25-100). Mean adult, parental and child social scores were 76.1, 71.4 and 66.4 respectively (ranges 32.5-93.75, 35.-93.75, 25-100). There was a strong correlation between impaired visual function and perceived impaired social function for adults (p<0.000) and parental assessment of children (p<0.000). However there was no significant correlation between child self assessment of visual and social function. Social class or type of nystagmus could not account for the above findings. Conclusions: In nystagmus the degree of impairment of visual function strongly correlates with impaired social function. Parents perceived a correlation between visual impairment and social function of their children while the children's answers were discordant for their visual and social function.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: pre • nystagmus