Focal search behavior in patients with points to compensatory vision strategies

Glaucoma significantly alters visual search patterns, leading to more focal search behavior, likely due to compensatory strategies that patients with glaucoma adopt to cope with their visual impairments, according to a study.

The study included 27 patients with glaucoma and 30 healthy controls, who were tasked with identifying specific targets in real-world images. The patients with glaucoma exhibited significantly higher fixation counts, longer fixation durations, and increased search time compared to healthy participants.

Patients with glaucoma showed a preference for focal search patterns, characterized by long fixation duration and short saccade amplitude. In contrast, healthy controls had a more balanced distribution between focal and global search patterns.

These findings highlight the impact of glaucoma on visual function and suggest the potential for further investigation into factors influencing these patterns, such as visual saliency.

Reference
Nagarajan S, Meethal NSK, Pel JJM, et al. Characterization of Gaze Metrics and Visual Search Pattern Among Glaucoma Patients While Viewing real-world Images. J Glaucoma. 2024;doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000002493. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39235404.