Clinical Report: Measuring the Effectiveness of Bioptic Telescopes for Persons with Central Vision Loss
By Szlyk, Janet P., PhD; Seiple, William, PhD; Laderman, Denice J., MS; Kelsch, Roger, RKT; Stelmack, Joan, OD; Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 101-108Publication Date: January/February 2000
Study evaluating a vision rehabilitation program designed to train persons with central vision loss to use a bioptic telescope for improving life skills, such as driving. The study compares outcomes of study participants who were given bioptic telescopes with training to those who were given telescopic lenses with no training. Twenty-five participants, ages 16-78 were included in the study, each assigned randomly into one of three groups. Group I was given bioptic telescopes and training during the first three-month-long period of the six-month-long study. Group two was given lenses and training during the second 3-month-long study, and Group three was given the lenses for three months without any training. The groups were given a battery of tests, including clinical vision, functional tasks, and driving skills assessments. The tasks were divided into six major categories-Recognition, Mobility, Peripheral Identification, Scanning, Tracking, and Visual Memory. The study concludes that there was significant improvement in visual skills with the use of a bioptic telescope. This improvement was more significant with training in the use of the lenses in many of the visual skills categories, including driving-related skills.
Published by:
VA Rehabilitation Research & Development Service (Web Site: http://www.rehab.research.va.gov )
Link to text: http://www.vard.org/jour/00/37/1/szlyk371.htm
