A Virtual Reality Orientation and Mobility Test for Inherited Retinal Degenerations: Testing a Proof-of-Concept After Gene Therapy.

To test the ability of a virtual reality (VR) orientation and mobility (O&M) protocol to serve a measure of functional vision for patients with inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs). A VR-O&M protocol designed using a commercially available VR hardware was tested in normally sighted control subjects (n=7; ages 10-35yo; Average 22.5yo) and patients with Visual acuities in This study provides proof-of-concept data in support for the use of VR-O&M systems to quantify the impact that the visual dysfunction and improvement of vision following treatments has on functional vision in IRDs. The VR-O&M was useful in potentially challenging scenarios such as in pediatric patients with severe IRDs. A VR-O&M test will provide much needed flexibility, both in its deployment as well as in the possibility to test various attributes of vision that may be impacted by gene therapy in the setting of translational studies. This study provides proof-of-concept data in support for the use of a virtual reality orientation and mobility test to quantify the impact of the disease and of treatments thereof on functional vision in inherited retinal degenerations.

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© 2021 Aleman et al.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

TSA, AJM and JB are co-authors on intellectual property describing the virtual reality mobility test (PCT/US2019/029173 pending). BPL reports consultancy fees paid into research account at Ghent University Hospital from Bayer, Biogen, IVERIC Bio and Vedere Bio; reports research grants and consultancy fees paid into research account at Ghent University Hospital from GenSight Therapeutics, Novartis, and ProQR Therapeutics, outside the submitted work. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.