Reading assessment and eye movement analysis in bilateral central scotoma due to age-related macular degeneration

Zaletel, Polona (author), Jakus, Grega (author), Miljković, Nadica (author), Tanasković, Ilija (author), Stokanović, Smilja (author), Meglič, Andrej (author), Vidović Valentinčič, Nataša (author), Jaki Mekjavić, Polona (author)

This study investigates reading performances and eye movements in individuals with eccentric fixation due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Overall, 17 individuals with bilateral AMD (7 males; mean age 77.47 ± 5.96 years) and 17 controls (10 males; mean age 72.18 ± 5.98 years) were assessed for reading visual acuity (VA), reading speed (Minnesota low vision reading chart in Slovene, MNREAD-SI), and near contrast sensitivity (Pelli-Robson). Microperimetry (NIDEK MP-3) was used to evaluate preferential retinal locus (PRL) location and fixation stability. Eye movements were recorded with Tobii Proglasses 2 and analyzed for reading duration, saccade amplitude, peak velocity, number of saccades, saccade duration, and fixation duration. Individuals with AMD exhibited significantly reduced reading indices (worse reading VA (p < 0.001), slower reading (p < 0.001), and lower near contrast sensitivity (p < 0.001)). Eye movement analysis revealed prolonged reading duration, longer fixation duration, and an increased number of saccades in individuals with AMD per paragraph. The number of saccades per paragraph was significantly correlated with all measured reading indices. These findings provide insights into reading adaptations in AMD. Simultaneously, the proposed approach in analyzing eye movements puts forward eye trackers as a prospective diagnostic tool in ophthalmology

• Language: English
• Keywords: reading visual acuity, reading speed, near contrast sensitivity, microperimetry, preferential retinal locus, fixation stability, eye tracking, saccades, fixation duration
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FE - Faculty of Electrical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: 24 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 18, issue 5, art. 38
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-171956
• UDC: 617.7
• ISSN on article: 1995-8692
• DOI: 10.3390/jemr18050038
• COBISS.SI-ID: 247704579
• Publication date in RUL: 04.09.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of eye movement research
• Shortened title: J. eye mov. res.
• Publisher: European Group for Eye Movement Research, MDPI
• ISSN: 1995-8692
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3116656

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: ostrina vida pri branju, hitrost branja, občutljivost na bližnji kontrast, mikroperimetrija, preferenčni lokus mrežnice, stabilnost fiksacije, sledenje očesu, sakade, trajanje fiksacije