Evaluating the applications of the spatially adaptive program (SAPRO) in clinical perimetry: Part I.

Some clinical application possibilities of a spatially adaptive program (SAPRO) are presented and analyzed. Due to the ability of the program to adapt operationally to the visual field situation that is encountered, useful clinical findings can be obtained, even in patients with complicated visual field disturbances. The spatially adaptive detection mechanism, as well as a simplified bracketing strategy, make it possible to keep the cost/benefit ratio down. Short- and long-term fluctuations, especially when these are large, may compromise the validity of the examination results or place them in doubt. Their effects can be diminished using data reduction methods (averaging). In cases where averaging cannot be applied, one can nevertheless achieve useful results by the appropriate selection of the perimetric visual fields (or portions thereof) that are measured.