(www.PreserveMacForte.com) Researchers have discovered why men and women diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) tend to experience difficulty recognizing other peoples’ faces, reported Medical News Today recently.
According to an article focusing on the findings that have provided answers to a dilemma that has long stumped medical professionals, researchers believe that the problems macular degeneration patients have in identifying the faces of even people they know really well may be a function of irregular patterns of eye movement and fixations caused by the eye ailment. The findings were included in a study published this month in Optometry and Vision Science.
According to the article, macular degeneration significantly harms the retina and, consequently, compromises patients’ vision in the middle of the visual field. This makes things appear to be fuzzy. As such, AMD patients usually have a hard time recognizing faces. Statistics cited in the article noted that macular degeneration cases become more prevalent as people age. That said, AMD cases in the United States among people older than 40 years old have fallen over the last decade and a half.
In terms of the study, researchers assessed the insides of the eyes of AMD patients by using a method called optical coherence tomography/scanning laser ophthalmoscopy. Using this method, researchers were able to create small movies of the insides of macular degeneration patients’ eyes so that they, the researchers, could then to analyze the patterns of eye movement and fixations of these patients when they focused on a face. According to the article, researchers discovered a number of differences, when comparing AMD patients and normal controls, in terms of patterns of eye movement and fixations. AMD patients’ eyes moved around more frequently compared to those with normal vision, according to the article. These irregular eye movements rendered it harder to recognize faces, the researchers explained in the article.
AMD, a medical condition that usually affects older people, is a significant cause of blindness. People with AMD could experience problems not only identifying people, but also driving, reading and carrying out regular tasks. There is no cure, but lifestyle changes, such as eating lots of produce, can help people to keep their eyes functioning normally.
Reference: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/254751.php