Assessment of the Impact of a Head-mounted Augmented Reality Low Vision Aid on Vision and Quality of Life in Children and Young People with Visual Impairment
Introduction: Electronic head-mounted low vision aids (LVAs) can help children and young people (CYP) to access schoolwork and leisure activities which they would otherwise struggle to be able to do with traditional optical or hand held LVAs. SightPlus uses a smartphone mounted in a virtual reality...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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White Rose University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | British and Irish Orthoptic Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://account.bioj-online.com/index.php/wr-j-bioj/article/view/345 |
| _version_ | 1827352660634763264 |
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| author | Emily Cottingham Finnguala Burgum Simon Gosling Laura Woods Anamika Tandon |
| author_facet | Emily Cottingham Finnguala Burgum Simon Gosling Laura Woods Anamika Tandon |
| author_sort | Emily Cottingham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Electronic head-mounted low vision aids (LVAs) can help children and young people (CYP) to access schoolwork and leisure activities which they would otherwise struggle to be able to do with traditional optical or hand held LVAs. SightPlus uses a smartphone mounted in a virtual reality headset controlled using a Bluetooth joystick. It offers users 0.7–24.3× magnification alongside enhanced modes to maximise vision. Methods: Eighteen participants aged 8–16 years with reduced vision were given SightPlus to use at home for four weeks. Visual acuity was assessed with and without SightPlus along with reading performance, contrast sensitivity, functional vision and quality of life questionnaires. Results: Clinically significant improvements in distance vision (0.633logMAR SD ± 0.359), near vision (0.411logMAR SD ± 0.368), reading acuity (0.454LlogMAR SD ± 0.406) and critical print size (0.285logMAR ± 0.360) were seen when testing with SightPlus. However, there was a mean decrease in contrast sensitivity and reading speed when using SightPlus. Despite this, nine out of the 14 patients included for analysis indicated a preference to continue to use SightPlus. Of note, younger participants were more likely to show a preference for using SightPlus. All seven CYP aged 10 or under wanted to continue to use SightPlus; in contrast, only two of the seven participants aged 11 or over wanted to continue. Conclusions: Like the results in adult populations, SightPlus has been found to improve CYP visual functions. Older participants were less likely to want to continue to use SightPlus, potentially suggesting they have found other methods for managing sight loss. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:09:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b69f93ce77b1493fa4af16c69de6a5a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2516-3590 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T03:09:13Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | White Rose University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | British and Irish Orthoptic Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-b69f93ce77b1493fa4af16c69de6a5a02024-02-13T07:27:39ZengWhite Rose University PressBritish and Irish Orthoptic Journal2516-35902024-01-012057–6857–6810.22599/bioj.345345Assessment of the Impact of a Head-mounted Augmented Reality Low Vision Aid on Vision and Quality of Life in Children and Young People with Visual ImpairmentEmily Cottingham0Finnguala Burgum1Simon Gosling2Laura Woods3Anamika Tandon4Sheffield Children’s HosptialSheffield Children’s HosptialSheffield Children’s HosptialSheffield Children’s HosptialSheffield Children’s HosptialIntroduction: Electronic head-mounted low vision aids (LVAs) can help children and young people (CYP) to access schoolwork and leisure activities which they would otherwise struggle to be able to do with traditional optical or hand held LVAs. SightPlus uses a smartphone mounted in a virtual reality headset controlled using a Bluetooth joystick. It offers users 0.7–24.3× magnification alongside enhanced modes to maximise vision. Methods: Eighteen participants aged 8–16 years with reduced vision were given SightPlus to use at home for four weeks. Visual acuity was assessed with and without SightPlus along with reading performance, contrast sensitivity, functional vision and quality of life questionnaires. Results: Clinically significant improvements in distance vision (0.633logMAR SD ± 0.359), near vision (0.411logMAR SD ± 0.368), reading acuity (0.454LlogMAR SD ± 0.406) and critical print size (0.285logMAR ± 0.360) were seen when testing with SightPlus. However, there was a mean decrease in contrast sensitivity and reading speed when using SightPlus. Despite this, nine out of the 14 patients included for analysis indicated a preference to continue to use SightPlus. Of note, younger participants were more likely to show a preference for using SightPlus. All seven CYP aged 10 or under wanted to continue to use SightPlus; in contrast, only two of the seven participants aged 11 or over wanted to continue. Conclusions: Like the results in adult populations, SightPlus has been found to improve CYP visual functions. Older participants were less likely to want to continue to use SightPlus, potentially suggesting they have found other methods for managing sight loss.https://account.bioj-online.com/index.php/wr-j-bioj/article/view/345low visionelectronic low vision aidquality of life |
| spellingShingle | Emily Cottingham Finnguala Burgum Simon Gosling Laura Woods Anamika Tandon Assessment of the Impact of a Head-mounted Augmented Reality Low Vision Aid on Vision and Quality of Life in Children and Young People with Visual Impairment British and Irish Orthoptic Journal low vision electronic low vision aid quality of life |
| title | Assessment of the Impact of a Head-mounted Augmented Reality Low Vision Aid on Vision and Quality of Life in Children and Young People with Visual Impairment |
| title_full | Assessment of the Impact of a Head-mounted Augmented Reality Low Vision Aid on Vision and Quality of Life in Children and Young People with Visual Impairment |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of the Impact of a Head-mounted Augmented Reality Low Vision Aid on Vision and Quality of Life in Children and Young People with Visual Impairment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of the Impact of a Head-mounted Augmented Reality Low Vision Aid on Vision and Quality of Life in Children and Young People with Visual Impairment |
| title_short | Assessment of the Impact of a Head-mounted Augmented Reality Low Vision Aid on Vision and Quality of Life in Children and Young People with Visual Impairment |
| title_sort | assessment of the impact of a head mounted augmented reality low vision aid on vision and quality of life in children and young people with visual impairment |
| topic | low vision electronic low vision aid quality of life |
| url | https://account.bioj-online.com/index.php/wr-j-bioj/article/view/345 |
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