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A Multi-Center Study of Reading Rehabilitation in Macular Disease

NCT00746668 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 36

Last updated 2015-02-27

Study results available
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Summary

The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of a newly-designed oculomotor training program for patients with macular disease, including age-related macular degeneration.

Conditions

  • Age Related Maculopathy
  • Retinal Degeneration

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Module 1: Visual Awareness and Eccentric Viewing

In this module, awareness of the PRL location and eccentric viewing were trained. Exercises based on published sources were administered. One example of these exercises is the clock face display adapted from Holcomb and Goodrich and Maplesden. This module also focused on awareness of the perceptual consequences of using a PRL. The purpose of these training exercises was to allow the subjects to appreciate perceptual alterations that occur when using a PRL and to practice making perceptual discriminations with the peripheral retina. Previously published work has demonstrated that perception in the peripheral retina can be affected by practice.

BEHAVIORAL

Module 2: Control of Reading Eye Movements

In this module, control of eye movements was trained. These exercises began with a series of saccade tasks to nonalphabetical stimuli and then progressed to single letter, letter pairs, and word stimuli. Subjects were instructed to make a saccade between the dots. The experimenter provided feedback concerning the appropriateness of the saccades, and the alternation rate of the dots was increased as performance improved.

BEHAVIORAL

Module 3: Reading Practice with RSVP

In module 3, we wanted to assess only the higher-level effects of reading practice. Subjects practiced reading using stimuli that did not require reading eye movements. An example is short sentences that were presented one word at a time at a single location on a screen (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation \[RSVP\]). At the end of the sentence, subjects reported whether the sentence made sense or not. We also had our subjects practice reading scrolled text. Although, eye movements and saccades may spontaneously occur under the text presentation conditions of this module, they are not the efficient saccades necessary for reading.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Principal Investigators

  • Janet P Szlyk, PhD · Jesse Brown VAMC (WestSide Division)

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2008-08-31
Primary Completion
2012-09-30
Completion
2012-09-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Entities

Companies

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00746668 on ClinicalTrials.gov