Automated Assessment of Visual Photosensitivity in Healthy and Traumatic Brain Injury Study Participants

Abstract

Purpose : Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a condition with devastating lifelong consequences. Visual photosensitivity is a common and incapacitating symptom associated with TBI. The purpose of our study was to assess visual photosensitivity in healthy and TBI study participants using the Ocular Photosensitivity Analyzer (OPA, Aguilar et al. BOE2018,9(11): 5583-5596).

Methods : Twenty-five healthy study participants (13 females and 12 males, age = 32.5±13.3) and nine TBI study participants (2 females and 7 males, age = 35.7±14.5) were tested using the OPA under an IRB approved protocol. The automated OPA produces light stimuli of varying intensities utilizing unequal ascending and descending steps. Each stimulus is presented for 2 seconds, followed by a rest period of 4 seconds. The subject is instructed to indicate whether the light stimulus is “uncomfortable” by pressing a hand-held button. The visual photosensitivity threshold (VPT) is calculated from the mean of 10 response reversals. A higher VPT indicates more tolerance to light while a lower VPT indicates less tolerance to light. Additionally, study participants were administered the Visual Light Sensitivity Questionnaire-8 (VLSQ-8), prior to being tested with the OPA, to assess the presence and severity of visual photosensitivity symptoms. The VPT and VLSQ-8 scores of healthy and TBI study participants were compared.

Results : The VPT of healthy and TBI study participants were 2.5±0.8 and 1.6±0.9 log lux, respectively, p<0.05. VLSQ-8 scores of healthy and TBI study participants were 11.6±3.3 and 20.7±8.9, respectively, p<0.05. VPT scores were negatively correlated with VLSQ-8 scores (r=-0.56, p<0.01).

Conclusions : Visual photosensitivity was assessed in healthy and TBI study participants using the OPA. Healthy study participants had higher VPT and lower VLSQ-8 scores compared to TBI study participants. Quantitative clinical outcome measures are needed in TBI to better characterize disease severity, monitor progression, and evaluate efficacy of emerging treatments.

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

 

Figure 1. Ocular Photosensitivity Analyzer testing a healthy study participant.

 

Figure 2. Visual Photosensitivity Threshold of the healthy and TBI study participants.