The Evaluation of Reading Performance with Minnesota Low Vision Reading Charts in Patients with Age-related Macular Degeneration

Validation of a computerized version of the MNREAD chart for children

PURPOSE

We aimed the develop and validate a computerized version of the MNREAD for the assessment of reading speed for children.

METHODS

A computerized version of the MNREAD was built in Psykinematix software using the same parameters as the physical chart. We measured the reading velocity of 104 children (n = 44 of the 3rd grade; n = 60 of the 5th grade). Bland-Altaman analysis was used to quantify agreement between two chart measurements.

RESULTS

Comparison between the 3rd and 5th-grade children for physical and computerized MNREAD versions showed statistical differences in Maximum Reading Speed (F = 2669.6; p < 0.001), Critical Print Size (F = 17.49; p < 0.001), and Reading Acuity (F = 14.19; p = 0.002) with huge effect size (η2 = 0.930). No differences were found between the versions within grades. Bland-Altman analysis showed 95% of the data points within ± 2 s of the mean difference, suggesting a similarity between versions of the MNREAD parameters.

CONCLUSION

Our reading speed values for children in the 5th grade were higher than previous studies, suggesting a better quality of the assessment in the computerized version. Tolerance Limits were calculated as normality references for clinical purposes.

Evaluating Reading Performance in Different Preferred Retinal Loci in Persian-Speaking Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose:

To evaluate reading performance in different preferred retinal loci (PRLs) using a Persian version of a Minnesota Low Vision Reading (MNREAD) chart in Persian-speaking patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 35 patients with AMD were assessed. The reading performance was investigated by the MNREAD chart without using low vision aids. The location of PRL was determined monocularly using an MP1 microperimeter (Nidek Technologies, Padua, Italy). The anatomical location of the fovea was determined using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Images were taken with the MP1 microperimeter, and Spectralis HRA-OCT device was processed using graphic software to determine the location of the PRL on the retina.

Results:

Thirty-five patients (51 eyes) with a mean age of 73.8 ± 7.7 years (range, 54–88 years) were assessed. Mean best corrected distance visual acuity (logMAR) was 0.65 ± 0.35 (range, 0.2–1.3). Mean levels of reading acuity (RA) (P = 0.009) and critical print size (CPS) (P = 0.015) were significantly different in different locations of PRL. Average scores of maximum reading speed (MRS) (P = 0.058) and reading accessibility index (ACC) (P = 0.058) were not statistically significant in different locations of PRL. There was a positive correlation between PRL-fovea distance and RA (P < 0.001, r = 0.591) and CPS (P < 0.001, r = 0.614). Significant negative correlations were observed between PRL-fovea distance and MRS (P < 0.001, r = −0.519) and ACC (P < 0.001, r = −0.545).

Conclusions:

This study provides evidence for differences in the reading performance of Persian-speaking patients with AMD in different PRL locations. The average scores of all reading indices obtained in the right-field PRL are lower than those in other areas and are highly correlated with the PRL-fovea distance.

Evaluation of pre- and post-surgery reading ability in patients with epiretinal membrane: a prospective observational study

Background

This study aimed to investigate the pre- and post-surgery reading ability in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) to evaluate whether measurement of reading performance is a helpful test in addition to visual acuity (VA) as an assessment measure.

Methods

This prospective observational study involved 42 eyes of 40 patients with idiopathic ERM. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), reading ability, and metamorphopsia score were evaluated at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery. As the outcome measure, the reading ability of each patient (i.e., overall performance) was examined with MNREAD-J, the Japanese version of the MNREAD reading acuity (RA) charts, to determine RA, critical print size (CPS), and maximum reading speed (MRS). Generally, a difference of 0.2 logMAR or more is considered a significant change in BCVA. Thus, as a subgroup analysis, we additionally evaluated the BCVA and reading ability of the patients with a BCVA difference of 0.1 logMAR or less between at baseline and at 12 months post-surgery.

Results

Relative to their values at baseline, the subjects exhibited significantly improved BCVA, RA, and CPS throughout the post-surgery examination period (P < 0.001) and significantly improved MRS at 12 months post-surgery (P = 0.04). No significant change in the vertical metamorphopsia score was observed throughout the post-surgery follow-up period. However, and compared to the value at baseline, significant improvements in the horizontal metamorphopsia score were observed at 3, 6 (P < 0.05), and 12 months (P < 0.001) post-surgery. In the subgroup analysis of the 23 eyes that exhibited a BCVA improvement of 0.1 logMAR or less, the median BCVA did not change, but the median RA and CPS improved by 0.2 logMAR.

Conclusions

Our findings showed that the surgical removal of ERM improves reading ability, even when the BCVA score does not improve. The measurement of reading performance appears to be a helpful test in addition to VA as a measure for assessing the surgical removal of ERM.