Comparison of Far Peripheral Visual Fields in East-Asian and Caucasian Subjects

• Published in: American journal of ophthalmology Vol. 278; pp. 168 - 175
• Main Authors: Dogahe, Sepideh J., Garmany, Armin, Mousavi, Mostafa S., Ashourizadeh, Helia, Khanna, Cheryl
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.10.2025
• ISSN: 0002-9394; 1879-1891; 1879-1891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2025.06.035

•This study examined peripheral visual field differences between Asian and non-Asian participants using static and kinetic perimetry along with 3D facial reconstruction.•Asian participants demonstrated fewer facial contour-dependent defects compared to non-Asian participants, particularly in the inferior nasal region.•The findings highlight the need for ethnicity-specific normative databases in visual field testing and emphasize the importance of considering facial anatomy's impact on peripheral vision. To compare peripheral visual field performance and facial contour—dependent visual field defects between East Asian and Caucasian participants using both kinetic and static perimetry. Cross-sectional observational study. Forty-seven healthy participants, including 25 East Asian individuals (Chinese, Japanese, or Korean ethnicity) and 22 Caucasian individuals, confirmed to have no ocular pathology on clinical examination and optical coherence tomography (OCT). All participants underwent visual field testing using the 60-4 threshold test on the Humphrey Field Analyzer II and kinetic perimetry on the Octopus perimeter. Three-dimensional facial reconstructions were generated from 2D facial photographs using neural network—enabled analysis to predict facial contour—dependent visual field obstructions. Sum of threshold sensitivities from the 60-4 test, peripheral field extent at specified angles (0°-330°) on kinetic perimetry, and the number of predicted and observed facial contour—dependent visual field defects. East Asian participants showed significantly fewer predicted and observed facial contour—dependent defects compared to Caucasian participants (OS: 3 ± 0.09 vs 6 ± 0.08, P < .0001; OD: 2 ± 0.06 vs 4 ± 0.08, P < .001). Kinetic perimetry revealed extended peripheral field extent in East Asians in the inferior nasal quadrant at 300° and 330° (FDR < 0.05). The 60-4 test showed higher threshold sensitivity in select inferior nasal locations among East Asians. Ethnicity-linked anatomical differences, particularly facial contour, may influence peripheral visual field performance. These findings support integrating facial structure and race-based context into the interpretation of visual field tests and highlight the value of combining kinetic and static perimetry.