Adjunct Professor Jan
Lovie-Kitchin
Adjunct Professor Brian Brown
Jennifer Bevan
International Collaborators
Dr Alex Bowers (Glasgow Caledonian University, UK)
Dr Allen Cheong (John Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA)
Dr Shirin Hassan (John Hopkins University, Baltimore,
USA)
Dr Susan Leat (University of Waterloo, Canada)
Dr Grace Soong (University of Chicago)
Dr Steve Whittaker (Philadelphia, USA)
Dr Russell Woods (Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, USA)
Research into the assessment and rehabilitation of people with low vision has been an important component of the activities of the Centre for Health Research (Optometry) at QUT, particularly since the establishment of the QUT Vision Rehabilitation Centre in 1993. This research is led by Jan Lovie-Kitchin, who has been involved in low vision research since 1975, when with Professor Ian Bailey, she designed the Bailey-Lovie (ETDRS) charts (Bailey & Lovie, 1976 & 1980; Lovie-Kitchin & Bailey 1998). Low vision research at the Centre for Health Research (Optometry) has been conducted at a number of levels:
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Part of our research is aimed at the early detection of eye diseases that cause visual impairment. Recent studies have examined the repeatability of vision measures in subjects with normal vision (Brown & Lovie-Kitchin, 1993; Lovie-Kitchin & Brown, 2000). |
We are currently investigating the function of the photoreceptors
in early age-related maculopathy using the multi-electroretinogram (MERG).
The Medical Retina Laboratory
research page gives more information on this research.
We need to know which visual functions are the important ones to assess for individuals with low vision. But first we need know how reliable our measures of visual performance are in low vision (Woods & Lovie-Kitchin, 1995). Then we need to examine the effect of different ocular diseases on specific visual functions (Wood & Lovie-Kitchin, 1991 & 1992).
Different impairments affect different tasks, so the assessment of low vision has to be related to the tasks people need or want to do. One of the major areas of research at the Centre for Health Research (Optometry) has been the investigation of reading performance in adults with visual impairment. Previous research has identified the visual requirements for reading with low vision (Whittaker & Lovie-Kitchin, 1993). Research has examined the relationship between reading performance and visual functions in both children and adults with low vision (Lovie-Kitchin et al., 1994; Bevan et al., 1998; Lovie-Kitchin & Whittaker, 1998 & 1999; Lovie-Kitchin et al., 2000 & 2001a; Bowers et al, 2001). Research to examine the way people navigate the page when reading with magnifiers and the effect of reading practice on performance is ongoing.
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Mobility performance of people with low vision is another everyday
task of interest to us. Our research in a number of previous and current
studies has shown that the central visual field is of prime importance
for mobility performance of low vision subjects (Lovie-Kitchin et al.,
1990; Black et al., 1997; Soong et al., 2000 & 2001; Hassan et al.,
2000; Hassan et al, 2002). Ongoing research is examining the relationships
between mobility performance and other vision measures.
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Map of the obstacle course used for mobility studies at QUT Centre for Health Research (Optometry) |
To examine the relationship between impairment and disability, in most of our current studies, we compare subjects' reported difficulties on tasks such as reading and mobility with measures of their visual performance (Hickson et al., 1999). To investigate the relationship between vision measures and self-reported peformance on everyday school tasks in children with low vision, we have developed the LV Prasad-Functional Vision Questionnaire (LVP-VFQ) for use in developing countries (Gothwal et al, 2003).
Current research is taking a positive approach to ageing. A/Professor Lovie-Kitchin is collaborating with researchers from a number of other disciplines including Human Services, Education, Nursing, Built Environment and Information Technology in the Active Ageing Australia (Triple A) study to examine the indicators for “active ageing”. Participants from a national seniors organisation have been surveyed on a range of factors thought to lead to active social engagement and productivity, including vision capabilities. Data analysis is underway.
Much of what we can do to relieve the visual disabilities will help to alleviate the visual handicap, but we have in the past also investigated the psychosocial impact of age-related vision loss (Davis et al., 1995). More recently, we have examined the effect of sensory loss (vision and hearing impairment) on the social networks of older people (Lind et al, 2003).
In collaboration with the Department of Ophthalmology in Melbourne,
we have conducted surveys of ophthalmologists and optometrists throughout
Australia, to determine their criteria for referring patients to vision
rehabilitation services (Keeffe et al., 1996; Lovie-Kitchin et al.,
1996). Case reports on the management of patients with low vision indicate
the multidisciplinary services required for vision rehabilitation (Lovie-Kitchin
et al., 2001b).
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Other specific projects under way, or proposed, include investigations into:
- Visual requirements for mobility
- Effect of magnifiers on reading performance of people with low vision.
- Bailey IL, Lovie JE. New design principles for visual acuity letter charts. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 1976; 53: 740-745.
- Bailey IL, Lovie JE. The design and use of a new near-vision chart. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 1980; 57: 378-387.
- Bevan J, Lovie-Kitchin J, Hein B. Contrast sensitivity and reading performance in students with a vision impairment. In: Vision '96, Book II, Proceedings of the International Conference on Low Vision 1996, Madrid: Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles, 36-42, 1998.
- Black A, Lovie-Kitchin J, Woods R, Arnold N, Byrne J, Murrish J. Mobility performance in retinitis pigmentosa. Clin Exp Optom 80: 1-12, 1997. Also reproduced in: A Vision for the Future - Proceedings of 1997 Biennial Congress, Brisbane: Australian Retinitis Pigmentosa Association, 31-41, 1998.
- Bowers AR, Lovie-Kitchin JE, Woods RL. Eye movements and reading with large print and optical magnifiers in macular disease. Optom Vis Sci 2001; 78: 325-334.
- Brown B, Lovie-Kitchin JE. Repeated visual acuity measurement: establishing the patient's own criterion for change. Optom Vis Sci 1993; 70: 45-53.
- Davis CA, Lovie-Kitchin JE, Thompson B. Psychosocial adjustment to age-related macular degeneration. J Vis Impairment Blindness 1995; 89: 16-27.
- Gothwal VK, Lovie-Kitchin JE, Rishita N. The development of the LV Prasad-Functional Vision Questionnaire: A measure of functional vision performance of visually impaired children. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2003; 44: 4131-4139.
- Hassan SE, Lovie-Kitchin JE, Woods RL, Soong GP-Y. Orientation and mobility in age-related macular degeneration. Visual Impairment Research 1999; 1(3): 175-180.
- Hassan S, Lovie-Kitchin JE, Woods RL, Soong G. Orientation and mobility in age-related macular degeneration. In: Vision Rehabilitation: Assessment, Intervention and Outcomes. Lisse, The Netherlands: Swets & Zeitlinger; 2000; 691-694.
- Hassan SE, Lovie-Kitchin JE, Woods RL. Vision and mobility performance of subjects with age-related macular degeneration. Optom Vis Sci 2002; 79: 697-707.
- Hickson L, Dalton M, Lind C, Worrall L, Lovie-Kitchin J. Auditory-visual speech perception: The effect of visual acuity in older people. Aust NZ J Audiol (In Press).
- Hickson L, Lind C, Worrall L, Yiu E, Barnett H, Lovie-Kitchin J. Hearing and vision in healthy older Australians: Objective and self-report measures. Advances in Speech Language Pathology 1999; 1(2): 95-105.
- Keeffe JE, Lovie-Kitchin JE, Taylor HR. Referral to low vision services by ophthalmologists. Aust NZ J Ophthalmol 1996; 24: 207-214.
- Lind C, Hickson L, Worrall L, Lovie-Kitchin J, Yiu E, Barnett H. Social networks of older Australians: The effects of hearing and vision impairment. Australasian Journal on Ageing 2003; 22(1): 20-25.
- Lovie-Kitchin JE, Bailey IL. Visual acuity measurement - 20 years on from the Bailey-Lovie chart. In: Vision í96, Book I, Proceedings of the International Conference on Low Vision 1996, Madrid: Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles, 45-49, 1998.
- Lovie-Kitchin JE, Bevan JD, Hein B. Reading performance in children with low vision. Clin Exp Optom 2001a; 84: 148-154.
- Lovie-Kitchin JE, Bowers AR, Woods RL. Oral and silent reading performance with macular degeneration. Ophthal Physiol Opt 2000; 20: 360-370.
- Lovie-Kitchin JE, Brown B. Repeatability and intercorrelations of standard vision tests as a function of age. Optom Vis Sci 2000; 77: 412-420.
- Lovie-Kitchin J, Devereaux J, Wells S, Sculpher K-A. Multi-disciplinary low vision care. Clin Exp Optom 2001b; 84: 165-170.
- Lovie-Kitchin JE, Keeffe JE, Taylor HR. Referral to low vision services by optometrists. Clin Exp Optom 1996; 79: 227-233.
- Lovie-Kitchin J, Mainstone J, Robinson J, Brown B. What areas of the visual field are important for good mobility in low vision patients? Clin Vis Sci 1990; 4: 249-263.
- Lovie-Kitchin JE, Oliver NJ, Bruce A, Leighton MS, Leighton WK. The effect of print size on reading rate for adults and children. Clin Exp Optom 1994; 77: 2-7.
- Lovie-Kitchin JE, Whittaker SG. Relative size magnification versus relative distance magnification: effect on reading performance of adults with normal and low vision. J Vis Impairment Blindness 1998; 92: 433-446.
- Lovie-Kitchin JE, Whittaker SG. Prescribing near magnification for low vision patients. Clin Exp Optom 1999; 82: 214-2.
- Soong GP-Y, Lovie-Kitchin JE, Brown B. Preferred walking speed for assessment of mobility performance: sighted guide versus non-sighted guide techniques. Clin Exp Optom 2000; 83: 279-282.
- Soong GP, Lovie-Kitchin JE, Brown B. Do vision and mobility performances of visually impaired adults improve immediately following orientation and mobility training? Optom Vis Sci 2001; 78: 657-666.
- Whittaker SG, Lovie-Kitchin JE. Visual requirements for reading. Optom Vis Sci 1993; 70: 54-65.
- Wood JM, Lovie-Kitchin JE. Contrast sensitivity measurement in the detection of primary open angle glaucoma. Perimetry Update 1990/91 Proceedings of the IXth International Perimetric Society Meeting, Malmo, Sweden, June 1990, 82-86, 1991.
- Wood JM, Lovie-Kitchin JE. Evaluation of the efficacy of contrast sensitivity measures for the detection of primary open-angle glaucoma. Optom Vis Sci 1992; 69: 175-181. Also Abstracted in Ophthalmology Digest 8-9, January 1993.
- Woods R, Lovie-Kitchin J. The reliability of visual performance measures in low vision. In: Vision Science and Its Applications, 1995 Technical Digest Series, Vol 1, Washington, DC: Optical Society of America, 246-249, 1995.
For a full list of Dr Jan Lovie-Kitchin's publications click
here.