Saturday, November 7, 2026

4:30 PM - 4:45 PM

Ballroom 1 and 2

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Overview

Natalia Dawson Kelly

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Details

Introduction: Visual impairment is heterogeneous in nature and arises from diverse aetiologies which result in varying levels of visual dysfunction and reduced quality of life. While vision rehabilitation has largely focused on improving visual acuity, fixation is a fundamental prerequisite for efficient visual function and remains relatively underemphasised. Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and cerebral visual impairment (CVI) are distinct conditions in which fixation is commonly impaired, however, little is known about the effectiveness of interventions targeting fixation in these populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of visual-auditory interventions for improving visual function in adults with ARMD and children with CVI, with fixation as the primary outcome measure. Methods:. Two separate retrospective cohort studies were conducted. Study 1 evaluated biofeedback eccentric viewing training in adults with ARMD, while Study 2 evaluated a visual-auditory fixation intervention in children with CVI. Changes in fixation and other measures of visual function, including visual acuity and contrast sensitivity, were assessed at baseline and following intervention. Results: Study 1 included 27 adults with ARMD and Study 2 22 children with CVI. Both studies demonstrated improvements across all post-intervention visual function outcomes, with the greatest gains observed in fixation. In both studies, improvements in fixation were associated with improvements in distance visual acuity, near visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. In the CVI study, fixation was also associated with improvements in visual crowding and visual response latency. These results suggest that improved fixation may contribute to broader functional visual benefits. Conclusion: Collectively, this research contributes to the evolving evidence to support fixation-based intervention in both adult and paediatric populations with visual impairment. Incorporating fixation training into rehabilitation programmes may enhance functional vision outcomes beyond those achieved through conventional approaches focused primarily on visual acuity.

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Speaker