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  • iPad App Detects VF Loss

    By Lynda Seminara
    Selected By: Richard K. Parrish II, MD
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    Journal Highlights

    American Journal of Ophthalmology, November 2017

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    Many cases of glaucoma are undetected, particularly in developing nations. Cost-effective practical methods are needed for detecting glaucoma, diabetic reti­nopathy, and other vision-threatening conditions. Johnson et al. tested the accuracy and efficiency of a free iPad app for suprathreshold perimetric screening. The tool proved fast and accurate for detecting both moderate and severe visual field (VF) loss.

    This prospective cross-sectional validation study was conducted at Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology in Nepal. Screening tests were performed using a calibrated iPad 2 containing the Visual Fields Easy (VFE) app. Of 411 eyes evaluated (206 subjects), 183 had glaucoma, 18 had diabetic reti­nopathy, and 210 were normal. Results were compared with those obtained by a Humphrey Field Analyzer for 373 of these eyes (glaucoma, 160; diabetic retinopathy, 15; normal, 198).

    The VFE iPad app was able to detect most VF deficits of moderate loss (mean deviation [MD] of –6 to –12 dB) and advanced loss (MD worse than –12 dB). It was not as sensitive for detecting early loss (MD better than –6 dB), due mostly to the high rate of false-positive responses. The average time to perform the VFE test on each eye was 3 minutes, 18 seconds (standard deviation, 16.88 seconds).

    The authors concluded that the VFE iPad app is a portable, quick, and effective method to identify moderate and advanced VF loss. Improvements are underway to enhance performance, reduce test time, monitor head and eye movement, and eliminate the need to touch the screen.

    The original article can be found here.