Automated Perimetry - Current Status

While the early Greek philosophers were at least acquainted with the concept of localized absence of vision and Hilshberg quotes Porta as having described a campimeter as easy as 1593 the concept of usefulness of visual field analysis for central nervous system pathologic localization required an understanding of the basic anatomical organization of the visual system. The original recognition of the two most Important anatomical correlates occurred in the 17th century. In 1668 Marlette described the presence of the blind spot temporal to fixation and recognized its connection with the optic disc located nasally. In 1682 Sir Isaac Newton proposed a hemidecussation of the optic nerve fibers In the chiasm. The clinical usefulness of these correlates did not enter practice until the middle of the 19th century delayed in part by Sir Isaac Newton's biographer Sir David Brewster who felt that perception was a retinal function. In 1856 von Graefe described the use of clinical tangent field testing and this was foll ed a year later by Aubert's report of perimetric studies. Collaboration with Forester produced the first useful arc perimeter In 1862.