Reading in the presence of macular disease: a mini‐review

Abstract

Purpose Reading is vital to full participation in modern society. To millions of people suffering from macular disease that results in a central scotoma, reading is difficult and inefficient, rendering reading as the primary goal for most patients seeking low vision rehabilitation. The goals of this review paper are to summarize the dependence of reading speed on several key visual and typographical factors and the current methods or technologies for improving reading performance for people with macular disease. Important findings In general, reading speed for people with macular disease depends on print size, text contrast, size of the visual span, temporal processing of letters and oculomotor control. Attempts at improving reading speed by reducing the crowding effect between letters, words or lines; or optimizing properties of typeface such as the presence of serifs or stroke‐width thickness proved to be futile, with any improvement being modest at best. Currently, the most promising method to improve reading speed for people with macular disease is training, including perceptual learning or oculomotor training. Summary The limitation on reading speed for people with macular disease is likely to be multi‐factorial. Future studies should try to understand how different factors interact to limit reading speed, and whether different methods could be combined to produce a much greater benefit.

Assessment of online patient education materials designed for people with age-related macular degeneration

“…Future research should address the need for treating people with AMD as a unique group under the larger umbrella of low vision. Chung questions whether reading performance could be enhanced by modifying certain characteristics of text to better match the capabilities of the peripheral visual system [6]. Additional studies are needed to determine the optimal design and presentation of PEMs for this population.…”

“…Additional time, attention and effort are needed to process and understand written text [5]. Poorer reading performance may be due to decreased acuity and contrast sensitivity in the peripheral visual field, and factors associated with the size and style of font [6]. In low vision rehabilitation, techniques to increase reading performance are often addressed.…”

Assessment of Online Patient Education Materials Designed for People with Age-Related Macular Degeneration 

“…Chung questions whether reading performance could be enhanced by modifying certain characteristics of text to better match the capabilities of the peripheral visual system. 6 Additional studies are needed to determine the optimal design and presentation of PEMs for this population. Future research should also evaluate the bene ts of PEMs that have been modi ed based on established guidelines for patients with low health literacy and low vision.…”

The inhibitory effect of word neighborhood size when reading with central field loss is modulated by word predictability and reading proficiency

“…Individuals with Central Field Loss (CFL) induced by maculopathy experience severely impaired functional vision, leading to major incapacitating reading deficits 1 – 3 . Reading speed being a strong determinant of overall quality of life in low-vision patients of all ages, there is a real societal need to help promote their reading performance through rehabilitation and assistive reading technology 4 , 5 .…”