The Short- and Long-Term Perceptual Learning of Clinical Dynamic Visual Acuity Test.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the short- and long-term learning effect of dynamic visual acuity (DVA) tests.

Methods: Participants between 18 and 30 years with corrected to normal visual acuity were enrolled in this study. Three repeated sessions were performed, with 15 minutes and 15 days' intervals between sessions. Each session included 9 DVA tests of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal motions of E optotypes at 20, 40, and 80 degrees per second (dps). The short- and long-term learning effects were analyzed from repeated DVA tests.

Results: Of the 58 enrolled participants, the mean age was 23.1 ± 2.1 years. DVA significantly varied among motion types and velocities (P < 0.05, respectively). There was a significant short-term learning effect for 20 (P = 0.004), 40 (P < 0.001), and 80 (P = 0.014) dps DVA test of horizontal motion, 40 dps DVA test of vertical (P = 0.003), and diagonal motion (P = 0.036). The long-term learning effect was detected in the 40 dps diagonal motion DVA test (P = 0.015). The short- and long-term learning effects were positively associated with initial DVA in most combinations of motion type and velocity tests (P < 0.05, respectively). The short- (P = 0.031) and long-term (P = 0.024) learning effect of 80 dps horizontal motion DVA test was greater in male than female participants.

Conclusions: There is a significant short-term learning effect in the DVA test of various motion types, but the long-term learning effect was rarely observed, and it is greater in participants with worse initial DVA.