Evaluation of diagnostic capabilities of interactive test strategies in automated perimetry.

Simple strategies for visual field screening with automated perimeters can detect abnormalities at acceptable rates. However, the information available from a screening field chart is often insufficient to assign the field into a diagnostic category, and further field testing is necessary. Automated perimeters can be programmed to alter the suprathreshold stimulus intensity based on patient response or do further testing in areas of detected abnormality. Two such programs were compared to a simple screening method using a single automated perimeter in 75 eyes. The charts generated by the interactive programs were more diagnostically useful than those produced by the simple strategy. However, these interactive strategies produced an increased rate of false alarms and testing time which substantially reduced their value as screening visual field tests.