Topical Review: Impact of Central Vision Loss on Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance while Walking

Abstract

SIGNIFICANCE: Individuals with central vision loss are at higher risk of injury when walking and thus may limit trips outside the home. Understanding the mobility challenges associated with central vision loss (CVL) can lead to more effective interventions.A systematic literature review focusing on mobility in CVL was conducted. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method, 2424 articles were identified in 4 databases (PsycINFO, APA PsycArticles, PubMed, and Web of Science). To be included within this review, the study methodology needed to be related to the three components of walking: (1) navigation, defined as the ability to reach a target destination;(2) obstacle avoidance, defined as the ability to avoid collisions with obstacles located at various heights and directions; and (3) street crossing, defined as the ability to both navigate a path and avoid collisions in a traffic environment. The methodology also needed to be empirical. Case studies, unstructured observational studies, studies based on selfreport, research proposals, and existing systematic reviews were excluded. Titles, abstracts, and full text of identified articles were screened, yielding 26 articles included in the review. Results showed that, in many tasks, individuals with CVL can accomplish a level of performance comparable with individuals with normal vision. Differences between normal and impaired vision were due to either age or how the groups completed the task. For example, individuals with CVL could cross a street successfully but did so less safely (i.e., smaller safety margins) than individuals with normal vision. To identify new interventions for CVL, future research should focus on the differences in the mechanisms underlying mobility between individuals with normal and impaired vision rather than solely on performance differences.

Reliability of Obstacle-Crossing Parameters during Overground Walking in Young Adults

“…At this point, it is important to mention that, fully in line with the scientific roadmap we have set up to assess the intra-session reliability of the 10 m walk test [ 2 ], we focused on young healthy adults as a first step to provide normative reference values for a young healthy population (e.g., see [ 67 , 68 , 69 ]). Naturally, the reliability must now be further tested in other populations with different socio-demographic, anthropometric, clinical, and lifestyle characteristics, including individuals who are overweight or obese (e.g., see [ 70 ] for a review), children, adolescents, middle age, and the elderly (e.g., see [ 71 ] for a review), and pathological populations (e.g., see [ 72 , 73 , 74 ] for reviews) who may also present different levels of fatigue (e.g., see [ 75 ] for a review) or physical fitness (e.g., see [ 76 ] for a review).…”

Accessibility, Functioning, and Activities of Daily Living with Visual Impairment amongst Adults from Minority Ethnic Communities in the UK

“…V.I. has further been associated with a negative impact on independent navigation [11,12]. Assistive technologies (ATs) can play a vital role in assisting navigation and thus improve the quality of life of people with V.I.…”