June 2022
Volume 63, Issue 7
Open Access
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   June 2022
A novel virtual reality orientation and mobility test to assess functional vision in patients with inherited retinal dystrophies
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Jean Bennett
    Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT), Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Elena M Aleman
    Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT), Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Katherine Maguire
    Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT), Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Alexander J Miller
    Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT), Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Mariejel Weber
    Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT), Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Ayodele Kobina Maja
    Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT), Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Albert M Maguire
    Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT), Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Tomas S Aleman
    Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT), Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships   Jean Bennett Spark Therapeutics, Code C (Consultant/Contractor), Splice Bio, Code C (Consultant/Contractor), Frontera, Code C (Consultant/Contractor), Gyroscope, Code F (Financial Support), Accugen, Code F (Financial Support), Opus Genetics, Code O (Owner), University of Pennsylvania, Code P (Patent), REGENX BIO, Code S (non-remunerative); Elena Aleman None; Katherine Maguire None; Alexander Miller University of Pennsylvania, Code P (Patent); Mariejel Weber None; Ayodele Maja None; Albert Maguire None; Tomas Aleman University of Pennsylvania, Code P (Patent)
  • Footnotes
    Support  Center for Advanced Retinal and Ocular Therapeutics (CAROT), Scheie Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science June 2022, Vol.63, 4496 – F0283. doi:
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    • Get Citation

      Jean Bennett, Elena M Aleman, Katherine Maguire, Alexander J Miller, Mariejel Weber, Ayodele Kobina Maja, Albert M Maguire, Tomas S Aleman; A novel virtual reality orientation and mobility test to assess functional vision in patients with inherited retinal dystrophies. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2022;63(7):4496 – F0283.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose : There is a need in studies of patients with retinal disease for testing paradigms that can quickly, accurately, and reproducibly define the level of visual function as well as the patient’s functional vision. We designed a virtual reality orientation and mobility (VR-O&M) protocol for such a purpose. The goal of this study was to initiate steps to validate this protocol in normal-sighted individuals as well as those with a diverse set of inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs).

Methods : Using commercially available hardware and custom-generated software, we developed a task whereby individuals are tasked to follow a set of dimly lit red arrows to a ‘course exit’ while identifying obstacles that are adjacent to or directly in their path. Subjects with normal vision (n = 21, ages 10-66 y) as well as patients with IRDs (n= 16, ages 7-63 y) representing a spectrum of disease severity were invited to participate. All individuals first underwent a training and practice session and then were dark-adapted for 30 minutes. Subjects were asked to follow the VR-O&M courses presented at a range of increasing luminance levels using a set of 35 randomly selected configurations of similar difficulty. Performance was graded automatically by the software.

Results : Normal-sighted individuals were able to accurately navigate the course over a range of luminances and were able to identify over 90% of the objects at about 0.02 cd.m-2. With the exception of one subject with light perception level of vision, all subjects with IRDs were able to complete the test. However, in the IRD group, light intensities allowing detection of the obstacles were significantly higher than in normal-sighted subjects. At the lowest level of luminance where normal subjects consistently detected nearly all objects, IRD patients could detect 10 to 80% of the presented objects which related to their disease severity.

Conclusions : This novel VR-O&M test promises to be a useful outcome measure for quantifying the impact of disease and treatments thereof on functional vision in inherited retinal degenerations.

This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.

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