Michaela Sherlock is a PhD student in the Department of Primary Care and Mental Health. As part of the KINETIC2 study, she is assessing children's visual fields to establish a normal database for children aged 5-17 years old. This will allow future comparison of children’s visual field results to an appropriate age-matched result.
The challenge
Sight is one of our most important senses and is measured from childhood throughout our lives. Although routine eye checks are offered to newborn babies and young children, when it comes to measurement of the visual field, we do not have enough information on what is a normal visual field range for children. This means we have little other option than to compare children’s results with data from adults.
The visual field is the area which can be seen when the eye is directed forward and includes both central and peripheral vision. Perimetry is the detailed measurement of visual field function using different types of targets. These can be ‘static’ targets that flash on and off (static perimetry), or can be measured with a moving target (kinetic perimetry).
When using these methods to complete a visual field assessment, the result is compared to a database of age-matched ‘normal’ visual field results. The age range within these databases typically starts at 18 years and above. However, a child’s visual field does not reach adult levels until about the age of 12-15 years, therefore, it is not ideal to compare a child’s visual field result to an adult’s visual field.
Our research
Michaela Sherlock is a full-time PhD student in the Department of Primary Care and Mental Health supervised by Professor Fiona Rowe, Dr Lauren Hepworth and Dr Girvan Burnside. She qualified as an Orthoptist in 2019 and worked, initially, for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. One part of Michaela’s research aims to establish a normal database for children aged 5-17 years old. This will allow future comparison of children’s visual field results to an appropriate age-matched result.
The KINETIC2 study will collect visual field assessment results from a range of children who have normal visual field function. The information will be used to create a normal database for children aged 5-17 years old.
In total, 150 children aged 5-17 years old, with normal visual field function, are needed to take part in the study. Recruitment to the study is ongoing and sessions will take place on the following dates:
- Tuesday 25 July
- Tuesday 1 August
- Tuesday 8 August
- Thursday 10 August
Please contact Michaela.Sherlock@liverpool.ac.uk for further information on how to take part.