Commentary on: MNREAD acuity charts in regional languages
Year: 2024
Type: editorial
Abstract: As reading is a complex process involving several visual and non-visual aspects, continuous-text reading charts are preferred over single optotype charts when measuring near visual acuity.[1-3] MNREADS charts are standardized, continuous-text reading acuity charts developed at the Minnesota Laboratory for low-vision research for assessing reading acuity, critical print size, and the reading speed of standard and low-vision patients.[4] It is useful for prescribing optical corrections for reading or other near tasks in the eye clinic, in low-vision assessment, prescribing magnifiers or other reading aids, applications in pediatrics and special education, and research.[5] The smallest print that can be read is the reading acuity. The fastest reading speed that may be attained when performance is unaffected by print size is the maximum reading speed (MRS). The critical print size is the smallest print that supports the MRS. Calabrèse et al.[6] introduced a fourth measure in MNREAD acuity charts, the reading accessibility measure, which is the mean reading speed in words per minute across the 10 largest physical print sizes, normalized by the value for a group of normally sighted young adults. MNREAD acuity charts are commercially available and are increasingly used in clinical practice for prescribing optical corrections for reading and other near tasks; in low-vision assessment and prescribing magnifiers or other reading aids; or for research purposes to measure treatment outcomes in conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, retinal vascular occlusion, macular diseases, or after implantation of multifocal intraocular lenses. Developed nations have an average literacy rate of 96% or better. In contrast, the least developed nations have an average literacy rate of 65%, with an average literacy rate as low as 27% in countries like Chad.[7] MNREAD acuity charts were initially developed in English. Using MNREAD charts in least-developed countries will be challenging due to the language barrier. Thus, development in regional languages was necessary for clinical or research purposes. Currently, MNREAD charts are developed in many languages, such as French, Greek, Ghanaian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Turkish, and Thai.[3,8-10] Tamaki et al.[9] validated the Portuguese version of MREAD acuity charts (MNREAD-P). They concluded that the MNREAD–P produces the same pattern of results as the original MNREAD with a significant correlation (r = 0.82) in MRS between them. Mataftsi et al.[10] developed the Greek version of the MNREAD acuity charts (MNREAD-GR) and validated its repeatability with three versions of the MNREAD-GR charts in 20 adults and 20 children. The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.72 for reading acuity, 0.87 for MRS, and 0.46 for critical print size, and they concluded that the MNREAD-GR acuity chart is a standardized clinical test that can be used reliably in Greek-speaking literates of all age groups. Boadi-Kusi et al.[3] developed and validated MNREAD acuity charts in Ghanaian, that is, MNREAD Asante Twi reading charts. They tested its repeatability and reproducibility with its reversed-contrast charts by using the mean differences between the acuity scores and reported no significant differences. Leeungurasatien et al.[8] recently developed three versions of the MNREAD acuity chart in the Thai language (MNREAD-TH) and tested it in 20 normal-sighted adults for validation. The intraclass correlation coefficients between charts were 0.85 for reading acuity, 0.94 for MRS, and 0.79 for critical print size. The mean reading acuity of MNREAD-TH (0.01–0.03 logMAR) was comparable to the Greek version of the MNREAD (0.03 logMAR) in adults. India is the largest democratic country in the world, having more than 20 legal languages. As MNREAD charts are not available in all these languages, future development of MNREAD acuity charts in at least a few languages spoken by most people in India could be beneficial. This article details the processes involved in developing reading charts. It can help clinicians and researchers undertake the same for other Indian languages, allowing for its use for clinical and research purposes in India.
Source: Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
Authors: Karthikeyan Mahalingam, Geeta Behera
Language: English
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4403850284