Abstract

People with central field loss (CFL) exhibit a substantial deficit in reading performance. Legge et al.¹ have shown that the median reading rate of people with CFL was 25 words per minute when the character size was optimal. The median reading rate of low-vision observers with intact central fields was 130 words per minute. The cause of the decreased reading rate in people with CFL is not known. One hypothesis is that pattern analysis performance is limited in peripheral vision² and therefore is not capable of mediating rapid reading. Even when the character size is scaled according to the cortical magnification factor, reading rates may not reach the same magnitude as found with foveal viewing.

© 1988 Optical Society of America