Effects of Low Visual Acuity Simulations on Eye-Hand Coordination and Brainwaves in Healthy Adults

Objective: In general, macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma generally cause visual injury in clinical settings. This study aimed to examine the effects of low visual acuity simulations on hand manual dexterity function and brainwaves in healthy young adults. Design: Cross-sectional study design Methods: This study was an observational, cross-sectional study. Seventy healthy young adults participated in this study. To evaluate the effects of low visual acuity simulations on hand function and brain waves, this study involved four different visual conditions including (1) normal vision, (2) simulated cataracts, (3) simulated glaucoma, and (4) simulated macular degeneration. The hand function was measured to use the Minnesota manual dexterity test (MMDT), and the brainwaves was also measured to use the electroencephalography. Results: In hand function, placing and turning performance on the MMDT in the normal visual condition was significantly different than that in the cataract and macular degeneration conditions (p<0.05), and the placing performance was significantly differred in the normal condition than that in the simulated glaucoma. However, turning was not significantly different in the normal condition than that in the simulated glaucoma. The alpha, beta, and gamma waves did not significantly differ among the four visual conditions (p>0.05). Conclusions: The results suggest that limited visual information negatively affects the ability to perform tasks requiring arm-hand dexterity and eye-hand coordination. However, the effectiveness of low visual acuity on the brainwaves should be further studied for rehabilitative evidence of visual impairment.