Graham Erickson

Reliability of a computer-based system for measuring visual performance skills

BACKGROUND Athletes have demonstrated better visual abilities than nonathletes. A vision assessment for an athlete should include methods to evaluate the quality of visual performance skills in the most appropriate, accurate, and repeatable manner. This study determines the reliability of the visual performance measures assessed with a computer-based system, known as the Nike Sensory Station. METHODS One hundred twenty-five subjects (56 men, 69 women), age 18 to 30, completed Phase I of the study. Subjects attended 2 sessions, separated by at least 1 week, in which identical protocols were followed. Subjects completed the following assessments: Visual Clarity, Contrast Sensitivity, Depth Perception, Near-Far Quickness, Target Capture, Perception Span, Eye-Hand Coordination, Go/No Go, and Reaction Time. An additional 36 subjects (20 men, 16 women), age 22 to 35, completed Phase II of the study involving modifications to the equipment, instructions, and protocols from Phase I. RESULTS Results show no significant change in performance over time on assessments of Visual Clarity, Contrast Sensitivity, Depth Perception, Target Capture, Perception Span, and Reaction Time. Performance did improve over time for Near-Far Quickness, Eye-Hand Coordination, and Go/No Go. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study show that many of the Nike Sensory Station assessments show repeatability and no learning effect over time. The measures that did improve across sessions show an expected learning effect caused by the motor response characteristics being measured.

Sports vision training: A review of the state-of-the-art in digital training techniques

ABSTRACT Athletes need excellent vision to perform well in their sports, and many athletes have turned to vision training programs as a way to augment their traditional training regimen. The growing practice of ‘sports vision training’ relies on the notion that practice with demanding visual perceptual, cognitive, or oculomotor tasks can improve the ability to process and respond to what is seen, thereby improving sport performance. This enterprise is not necessarily new, but has been advanced greatly in the past few years by new digital technology that can be deployed during natural training activities, by perceptual-learning-inspired training programs, and by virtual reality simulations that can recreate and augment sporting contexts to promote certain sports-specific visual and cognitive abilities. These improved abilities may, in turn, instill a competitive advantage on the playing field, underscoring the potential value of these approaches. This article reviews emerging approaches, technologies and trends in sports vision training. Where available, critical review of supporting research is provided.

Visual performance with sport-tinted contact lenses in natural sunlight.

Purpose. The use of tinted and clear contact lenses (CLs) in all aspects of life is becoming a more popular occurrence, particularly in athletic activities. This study broadens previous research regarding performance-tinted CLs and their effects on measures of visual performance. Methods. Thirty-three subjects (14 male, 19 female) were fitted with clear B&L Optima 38, 50% visible light transmission Amber and 36% visible light transmission Gray-Green Nike Maxsight CLs in an individualized randomized sequence. Subjects were dark-adapted with welding goggles before testing and in between subtests involving a Bailey-Lovie chart and the Haynes Distance Rock test. The sequence of testing was repeated for each lens modality. Results. The Amber and Gray-Green lenses enabled subjects to recover vision faster in bright sunlight compared with clear lenses. Also, subjects were able to achieve better visual recognition in bright sunlight when compared with clear lenses. Additionally, the lenses allowed the subjects to alternate fixation between a bright and shaded target at a more rapid rate in bright sunlight as compared with clear lenses. Subjects preferred both the Amber and Gray-Green lenses over clear lenses in the bright and shadowed target conditions. Conclusions. The results of the current study show that Maxsight Amber and Gray-Green lenses provide better contrast discrimination in bright sunlight, better contrast discrimination when alternating between bright and shaded target conditions, better speed of visual recovery in bright sunlight, and better overall visual performance in bright and shaded target conditions compared with clear lenses.

Comparison of low-contrast visual acuity between eye black and maxsight tinted contact lenses.

Objectives: Athletes who participate in outdoor activities seek products to reduce glare and improve contrast. This study compares performance of low-contrast visual acuity (VA) in bright outdoor conditions between the Maxsight Amber contact lens (CLs) and clear CLs with and without Eye Black grease. Methods: Seventeen subjects were fitted with clear CLs, clear lenses with Eye Black grease, Maxsight lenses with Eye Black grease, and Maxsight lenses alone. With each modality, the subject demonstrated low-contrast VA assessed and completed a questionnaire. At the end of testing, subjects completed a questionnaire to survey the performance of each modality. Results: The average low-contrast VA with clear CLs was 20/18.4, which improved to 20/17 with the addition of Eye Black grease (P=0.132). Significant improvement in low-contrast VA was seen with the Maxsight CLs to 20/15.4 (P<0.05), although it was not further improved with the addition of Eye Black grease. The results of the questionnaire showed a preference of the Maxsight CLs throughout the study for low-contrast VA. Conclusions: Although Eye Black grease has its place in sport and some sporting environments, the benefit in contrast acuity is insignificant. The better performance of the amber Maxsight lenses in this study demonstrates a visual performance benefit in bright sunlight.