Rehabilitasi penglihatan bagi murid penglihatan terhad adalah penting untuk membantu mereka menggunakan penglihatan
secara optimum ketika melakukan aktiviti hidup seharian (ADL) dan seterusnya menjadikan mereka lebih berdikari di
masa hadapan. UKM-CHILD adalah indeks ADL untuk mengukur keupayaan murid penglihatan terhad dalam melakukan
ADL. UKM-CHILD mengandungi 25-item soal selidik kendiri dan 7-item pengukur prestasi. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk
mengukur keberkesanan rehabilitasi penglihatan murid penglihatan terhad menggunakan UKM-CHILD. Seramai 40 murid
penglihatan terhad berumur 15.33 ± 1.56 tahun diberikan rehabilitasi penglihatan yang melibatkan preskripsi kaca mata,
alat bantu penglihatan terhad dan latihan penggunaan alat bantu penglihatan terhad. Sesi latihan dilakukan selama 5
minggu dan ianya merangkumi kaedah penggunaan alat bantu penglihatan terhad dan latihan membaca. Pengukuran
parameter kajian iaitu akuiti visual, kelajuan membaca dan keupayaan melakukan ADL (UKM-CHILD) dilakukan pada
peringkat pra dan pasca rehabilitasi. Keputusan kajian ini mendapati purata akuiti visual jauh meningkat sebanyak
empat baris (VAjauh(pra): 0.85 ± 0.05 logMAR; VAjauh(pasca): 0.40 ± 0.06 logMAR; z = -2.27, p = 0.026) dan purata akuiti
visual dekat meningkat sebanyak dua baris (VAdekat(pra): 0.64 ± 0.22 logMAR; VAdekat(pasca): 0.40 ± 0.12 logMAR; z = -5.21, p
< 0.05) selepas rehabilitasi. Purata kelajuan membaca meningkat sebanyak 48% (kelajuan membacapra: 49.58 ± 25.51
ppm; kelajuan membacapasca: 73.22 ± 26.19 ppm; t(39) = 16.67, p < 0.05). Dapatan kajian juga menunjukkan terdapat
peningkatan signifikan dalam skor soal selidik kendiri (soal selidik kendiripra: 1.72 ± 0.83 logit; soal selidik kendiripasca:
2.12 ± 1.25 logit; z = -5.129, p < 0.05) dan skor pengukur prestasi (pengukur prestasipra: 0.82 ± 0.30 logit; pengukur
prestasipasca: 2.87 ± 1.52 logit; z = -5.55, p < 0.05) selepas 5 minggu rehabilitasi. Kajian ini mendapati UKM-CHILD boleh
digunakan untuk mengukur keberkesanan rehabilitasi penglihatan.
The purpose of the present study was to assess quality of life (QOL) in n-AMD patients seen in a Malaysian public hospital
and to further identify visual and demographic factors that may contribute to QOL scores of these patients. Patients
with any form of n-AMD in at least one eye were recruited from hospital’s ophthalmology department. Bahasa Malaysia
version of National Eye Institute Visual function questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ-25) was administered to all participants.
Demographics, visual functions (VF) including best corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA), contrast sensitivity (CS),
near visual acuity (NVA) and reading speed (RS) were recorded. Eighty-six patients (Malay=26, Indian=23, Chinese=37)
aged 52 to 85 years, diagnosed with n-AMD were chosen to participate. Their mean NEI-VFQ composite score (NEI-VFQ
CS) was 66.91 ± 13.07. However, no significant difference in NEI-VFQ CS between gender, races and between the two sub
groups of n-AMD were observed (p>0.05). NEI-VFQ CS showed a significant association with RS (correlation coefficient
(ρ) =0.627), NVA (ρ = -.660), BCDVA (ρ = -.586), CS (ρ =.0.515). A linear model showed that a combination of BCDVA,
NVA, CS is accounted for a significant 38 % variability of NEI-VFQ CS (R2
=0.382, p<0.001). In conclusion, the QOL of
Malaysian n-AMD patients were found to be low. Thus, the study results indicated the need of developing necessary
management strategies to address this QOL issues in n-AMD patients in Malaysia. Furthermore, the present study suggested
incorporating appropriate VF such as near acuity, contrast sensitivity, reading speed in clinical settings while assessing
n-AMD patients as these VF explain the patient’s perception about the impact of this disease.
Eye movement is one of the most important mechanisms that function to collect the information from the environment to stimulate the motor action and thus enable a person to perform daily activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether eye movement parameters when performing activities of daily living (ADL) is affected by learning effect when the ADL were repeated. Thirteen school children aged between 15 and 19 years old (mean 16.31±1.89 years) participated in this study. They undergone two evaluations, baseline and follow up, separated by at least 10 weeks. The evaluation included assessment of visual acuity at near and distance using Lighthouse reduced ETDRS chart and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy (ETDRS) chart, respectively; eye movement parameters (task duration, saccade latency and number of saccades) while performing ADL (identifying colours, coins and food) were recorded using Positive Science Portable LLC eye tracker. The mean value for the visual acuity at distance and near for baseline and follow up were logMAR -0.05±0.05 and logMAR -0.05±0.05, respectively. The results showed that comparison of eye movement parameters for performance of ADL at baseline and follow up were not statistically significant. Therefore, the findings of this study suggested that learning effect is not a factor that will influence change in eye movement parameters when performing ADL. These findings implied some benefit in using eye movement parameters for example to evaluate performance of ADL when given intervention in persons with nystagmus.
Illumination is one of the important physical aspects that influences comfortability during learning session particularly
among visually impaired students. The purpose of this study was to determine changes in illumination level in classrooms
during learning session at Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas (SMPK), Setapak. The second objective was to compare
the illumination level in the classrooms under three different lighting conditions: daylight only, with additional artificial
light and with removal of obstructions to daylight. Illumination levels in 17 classrooms was measured at one hour interval,
between 8 am to 1 pm for the first stage and 19 classrooms under three different lighting conditions from 11 am to 12 noon
for the second stage, using ILM1335 (ISO-TECH, Taiwan) digital luxmeter. Illumination level increased significantly from
8 am to 11 am (One-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA: F(2.14, 34.26)=76.49, p<0 .001) and was maximum at 1 pm. The
illumination level was highest for the condition of daylight with additional artificial light (One-Way Repeated Measures
ANOVA: F(2,34)=110.51, p<0.001) compared to other conditions. Illumination levels for daylight without obstruction
was significantly higher than daylight only (pairwise comparison: p=0.001). Classroom illumination level was lowest
in the early morning. However, classroom illumination can be increased either by removing the obstructions to daylight
or with additional artificial lighting.