Provide a valuable resource to your clients or customers by linking to this resource page. Just place the following link on your website.
Perimetry is a test that maps the visual field, showing how far and how sensitive vision is in different directions. Patients respond to small lights or moving targets while looking straight ahead. The test detects blind spots and areas of reduced sensitivity from glaucoma, neurological disease, or retinal disorders. Reliable maps help track change over time.
read more about perimetry ...Static automated perimetry presents brief light stimuli at fixed locations and intensities, while kinetic perimetry moves a target from non seeing to seeing regions. Algorithms adjust difficulty to find threshold sensitivity. Reliability indices flag fatigue, inattention, or fixation loss. Consistent technique improves data quality.
Perimetry reveals how the retina and neural pathways respond across different zones. Each test point reflects the combined function of photoreceptors, ganglion cells, and brain pathways. Patterns of sensitivity loss help identify where disruptions occur. This mapping supports interpretation of both ocular and neurologic conditions.
Patterns of loss point to specific diseases: arcuate defects suggest glaucoma, hemianopia suggests brain pathway injury, and central depressions suggest macular disease. Index values summarize global sensitivity. Comparing to age matched norms reveals deviation. Serial tests show stability or progression.
Bring current glasses, rest well, and allow time to learn the rhythm of the test. Blink normally to keep the surface clear. Tell the technician if the response button or chin rest is uncomfortable. Comfort and focus improve accuracy.
Results depend on attention and learning, so the first test can look worse than later ones. Media haze, small pupils, and dry eye reduce sensitivity. Artifacts can mimic disease without careful review. Clinicians interpret results in context with other findings.
How long does it take? Most tests finish in 5 to 10 minutes per eye.
Is it painful? No, it is noninvasive.
Do I need dilation? Usually not, unless combined with other exams.
StatPearls. "Visual Field Testing." National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK585112/
American Academy of Ophthalmology. "Visual Field Testing." https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tests/visual-field-testing
National Eye Institute. "Visual Field Tests." https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-tests/visual-field-test
American Optometric Association. "Visual Field Testing." https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/visual-field-testing
Perimetry and Visual Field Analysis. Elsevier Clinical Ophthalmology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/perimetry