Which cognitive processes are accessible to conscious report? To study the limits of conscious reportability, we designed a novel method of quantified introspection, in which subjects were asked, after each trial of a standard cognitive task, to estimate the time spent completing the task. We then applied classical mental-chronometry techniques, such as the additive-factors method, to analyze these introspective estimates of response time. We demonstrate that introspective response time can be a sensitive measure, tightly correlated with objective response time in a single-task context. In a psychological-refractory-period task, however, the objective processing delay resulting from interference by a second concurrent task is totally absent from introspective estimates. These results suggest that introspective estimates of time spent on a task tightly correlate with the period of availability of central processing resources.

AimTo examine the level of agreement among nine clinicians in assessing progressive deterioration in visual field (VF) overview using three different methods of analysis. Methods Each visual field was assessed by Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA), program 24-2 SITA Standard. Nine expert clinicians assessed the progression status of each series by using HFA 'overview printouts' (HFA OP), the Guided Progression Analysis (GPA) and the Guided Progression Analysis (GPA2). VF series were presented in random order, but each patient's VF remained in chronological order within a given field series. Each clinician adopted his personal methods based on his knowledge to evaluate VF progression. The level of agreement between the clinicians was evaluated by using weighted k statistics.Results A total of 303 tests, comprising 38 visual field series of 7.963.4 tests (mean6SD), were assessed by the nine glaucoma specialists. When the intra-observer agreement was evaluated between HFA OP and GPA, the mean k statistic was 0.5860.13, between HFA OP and GPA2, k was 0.5560.06 and between GPA and GPA2 it was 0.5660.17. When the inter-observer agreement was analysed k statistic was 0.65 for HFA OP, 0.54 for GPA and 0.70 for GPA2. Conclusions Using any procedure for evaluating the progression of a series of VF, agreement between expert clinicians is moderate. Clinicians had higher agreement when GPA2 was used, followed by HFA OP and GPA printouts, but these differences were not significant.

Short-wavelength automated perimetry and FDT perimetry are two non-conventional perimetric techniques that were mainly developed for the early detection of glaucomatous damage. The results of this study demonstrate their efficacy also in detecting early visual field deficits in MS patients without clinical signs of optic neuropathy. Frequency doubling perimetry, in particular, proved to be an easy, fast, and sensitive technique in the assessment of patients with MS. Our results also suggest that subclinical visual involvement in MS can be better diagnosed using multiple (neurophysiologic and psychophysical) tests.

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