Visual object memory in patients with age-related macular degeneration F Geringswald1, A Herbik2, M B Hoffmann2, S Pollmann3 |
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1Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Germany |
| Allocation of visual attention is crucial for encoding items into visual memory. In free vision, attention is closely linked to the center of gaze. Here, we ask whether foveal vision loss entails sub-optimal deployment of attention, in turn impairing encoding of visual objects. We investigated visual memory for everyday objects in patients suffering from foveal vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with a change detection paradigm [Hollingworth, 2003, Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance, 30, 519-537]. A highly salient cue preceded recognition before potential object manipulation, drawing attention either to a valid or an invalid target position. Patients performed the task with their worse eye (n=13) and binocularly (n=17) and were compared to matched normal-sighted controls. Controls' recognition performance was significantly enhanced for valid compared to invalid cues. Patients showed this effect only under binocular viewing and recognition performance for valid cues decreased significantly with increasing visual impairment. Recognition performance for invalid cues was comparable across all groups and not significantly related to visual impairment. It is concluded that visual object encoding into visual short-term memory (valid cues) is less efficient in AMD patients, whereas visual long-term memory (invalid cues) for visual objects remains largely intact. |
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