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Different Perspectives

Better understanding of how glaucoma patients see the world

07 May 2020

Different Perspectives

We can never truly see the world through anyone else’s eyes, but a new tool might help people understand what it looks like to those with glaucoma. Glaucoma is a group of conditions that damage the optic nerve and cause vision loss over time, typically starting with the peripheral areas. This experience is often represented by dark areas around the edges of sight (bottom left), but this is regarded as unrealistic by patients. A new study gave healthy subjects a more accurate experience, by tracking their eye movement in a virtual reality headset and creating a blurred area of vision (bottom right) according to a map of vision based on a real patient (top right). The participants then got a sense of everyday life by completing basic tasks. Simulations like this may help those designing accessible buildings, transport systems, and tools to help patients navigate the world.

Written by Anthony Lewis

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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