First principles of perimetry

Abstract Clinical visual field tests are adaptations of classic psychophysical approaches to measuring the minimum value of a stimulus that can be seen (threshold or sensitivity). Although the classic approaches can be highly accurate and precise, they are also lengthy and unsuitable for clinical practice. Therefore, the design of a clinical visual field test must strike a balance between accuracy, precision, speed, and ease of understanding. Such a compromise brings both advantages and pitfalls. In this course, we will discuss the psychophysical underpinnings of conventional visual field tests and their standard parameters, why they were chosen, and how they might influence interpretation of clinical findings.