Investigation of neck posture in the visually handicapped by using a kinematic approach

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24700586
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Tsukuba University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: NAKAMURA Naoko 筑波技術大学, 保健科学部, 助教 (00455940)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 弱視 / 視野障害 / 姿勢 / 頚椎 / 角度 / 痛み / 視覚障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

My aim was to measure the distance from the eyes to the text and the angle of the neck when a person with low vision reads and writes. I also investigated the relationships among amblyopia and visual field disturbance, and neck position and pain. Musculoskeletal examination revealed that more than 60% of people with low vision had neck and shoulder pain. Subjects in the field disturbance group who had lost more than half the field of view in both eyes showed significant correlations between decreasing visual acuity value and both distance from eye to text and the degree of postural forward bend of the head and neck toward the desk. However, these relationships were not significant in subjects with partial field disturbance. To provide optimal care and assistive products to people with low vision we need to consider differences in the type of visual impairment.

Free Research Field

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