Validation of a Reading Assessment for Persons With Homonymous Hemianopia or Quadrantanopia.

OBJECTIVE: To preliminarily validate the Visual Skills for Reading Test (VSRT) for assessing reading performance in persons with homonymous hemianopia (HH) or quadrantanopia. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: University-based outpatient low vision rehabilitation center. PARTICIPANTS: Persons (N=38) with HH or quadrantanopia who completed the VSRT. INTERVENTIONS: Validation procedures included testing for equivalence of the 3 test versions, estimation of internal consistency reliability, and known-group comparison using VSRT results from previous studies of adults with normal vision and central field loss. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Corrected reading rate, reading accuracy rate, type and number of reading errors, and completion time were recorded and evaluated. RESULTS: Cronbach α for the VSRT across all participants was .80, which indicated good internal consistency. A known-group comparison showed that persons with a visual field deficit read significantly slower than did normally sighted adults (t580=10.13; P<.0001). Persons with quadrantanopia read significantly faster than did persons with HH (t36=2.25; P=.03) or those with central field loss (t48=3.17; P=.0027). These findings confirmed that the VSRT correctly discriminated between groups in terms of reading performance. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary validation results indicate that the VSRT demonstrates adequate evidence of reliability and validity to evaluate reading performance in adults with HH or quadrantanopia.

Falls prevention interventions for older adults with low vision: A scoping review: Étude de portée sur les interventions visant à prévenir les chutes chez les aînés ayant une basse vision.

BACKGROUND: Older adults with low vision are especially vulnerable to falls. There are no comprehensive reviews of fall prevention interventions for older adults with vision loss who live in the community. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to review the evidence regarding community-based falls prevention interventions that appear inclusive of and/or accessible to individuals with low vision. METHOD: A scoping review was completed using the framework developed by Arksey and O'Malley, and the charted data were analyzed using sums and percentages and qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: Seventeen publications were selected for this review. The analysis allowed for a thorough description of the types of falls prevention interventions (multiple components, home safety/modification, tai chi, the Alexander Technique, improvement of vision through vision assessment and referral, vision/agility training, and yoga), how each intervention addresses vision impairment, and the relation of results to falls risk. IMPLICATIONS: Falls prevention research targeting individuals with visual impairment is limited, and the intervention approaches available may not be effective for older adults with permanent vision loss.