We are searching for the potentially-enhanced visual functions in patients with injured visual system. Our research suggests that peripheral vision with its sensitivity to motion may be able to partially compensate for the loss of the central vision. Optical tests are based on the measurements of the stationary shape features.
We are proposing to measure acuity, the sharp vision with shapes of an equal surface built from moving dots. For the first time, it is possible to measure acuity based on motion sensitivity. The proposed protocol offers an accessible tool to assess visual acuity by recruiting central and peripheral visual fields.
Also, the possibility to use positive or negative contrast to modify the velocity of dots and the coherence or direction is crucial for a more detailed description of the full visual field. An assessment of the interplay between central and peripheral parts of the visual field has a crucial role in understanding how lost functions might be taken over by the spare parts of the visual system, and how this process can be supported by visual training rehabilitation procedures.
