Can Patients with Central Field Loss Drive Safely?

Patients with central scotomas and lateral preferred retinal locus did poorly at identifying pedestrians in a simulator test.

As the population ages, impaired vision caused by both aging and macular degeneration is growing. A substantial number of patients with macular degeneration and other conditions develop irreversible central field loss (CFL). Visual field is of great importance in motion detection and safe driving. However, in many countries including the U.S., visual acuity is the visual criterion for determining licensure.

To test the effect of CFL on driving ability, researchers screened 28 patients with CFL; 11 with binocular CFL (7 with age-related macular degeneration; 1 with Stargardt disease) completed the study, as did 11 age-matched controls with normal vision. Prior to driving tests, each patient with CFL had a visual field mapped to determine the …

Reviewing Author

Jaime Toro, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsMultiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders

Jaime Toro, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsMultiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders

Can Patients with Central Field Loss Drive Safely?

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Reviewing Author