How people with central vision loss aim and keep things in view
Official title: Oculomotor Demands for Target Stabilization without Central Vision
Funded at Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute · NIH-11309171 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how people with central vision loss from conditions like age-related macular degeneration move their eyes and head to find and keep things in view during everyday tasks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $505,228 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY036172-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11309171 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with central visual field loss, such as from age-related macular degeneration, who notice difficulty with depth perception, mobility, or using eccentric fixation.
✕Less likely to help
People without central visual field loss or whose vision problems do not affect the central retina are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would take part in vision and eye-movement tests that recreate everyday situations, such as shifting gaze between objects at different distances, keeping images steady while moving, and coordinating eye and head movements. The team uses binocular eye-tracking and motion tasks to compare people with central field loss to people with normal vision. They will study how losing central vision and using eccentric fixation in one or both eyes affects the way you look around and stabilize images on the retina. The work focuses on behaviors that matter for safe walking, driving, and avoiding falls in busy environments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better rehabilitation strategies or tools that help people with central vision loss navigate more safely and reduce falls and collisions.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have described static visual limits in macular degeneration, but applying binocular eye-tracking in naturalistic gaze-shifting and stabilization tasks is relatively new and not yet widely validated.
Where this research is happening
-
Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shanidze, Natela M. — Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Shanidze, Natela M.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.