IOVS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

(Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2007;48:4368-4374.)
© 2007 by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.
DOI:  10.1167/iovs.07-0001
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dickinson, C.
Right arrow Articles by Shim, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dickinson, C.
Right arrow Articles by Shim, M.

The Influence of Manual Dexterity on Reading Speed with a Hand-held Magnifier

Chris Dickinson and Maggie Shim

From the Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.

PURPOSE. To determine whether reading speed with a hand-held magnifier is influenced by age-related manual dexterity decline.

METHODS. Two groups of normally sighted individuals who were inexperienced in the use of a magnifier were recruited. The older group comprised 15 subjects 60 to 85 years of age, and the younger group consisted of 12 subjects 18 to 30 years of age. Subjects' reading speeds were measured under three conditions: (1) reading 12-point print without a magnifier, (2) reading 3-point print by moving a hand-held magnifier across the page, and (3) using the same print and magnifier, but moving the text under the stationary magnifier. Manual dexterity was assessed using the Jebsen-Taylor hand-function test, upper arm motor coordination with the finger-nose test, and grip strength using the Jamar dynamometer.

RESULTS. No significant difference was found between the two age groups in the mean reading speed for unmagnified text. Reading speed with a magnifier was significantly reduced in the older group, but not in the younger group. In both groups, no significant difference was found between moving the magnifier and moving the text during magnifier reading. Grip strength did not differ between the groups. The Jebsen-Taylor and finger-nose tests, however, showed poorer manual dexterity in the older group, and these correlated with the reading speed with the magnifier.

CONCLUSIONS. Manual dexterity should be considered as a possible prognostic factor for successful use of a hand-held low-vision aid. It is not known whether the deficit can be overcome with suitable training.






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2007 by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology