Objective Assessment of Disparity Vergence after Treatment of Symptomatic Convergence Insufficiency in Children

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2019

Abstract

SIGNIFICANCE This first report of the use of objective measures of disparity vergence as outcome measures for symptomatic convergence insufficiency in children provides additional information that is not accessible with clinical tests. The study results also demonstrate that objective measures of vergence could be used in future randomized clinical trials of binocular vision disorders with children. PURPOSE This study was designed to evaluate changes in objective measures of disparity vergence after office-based vergence/accommodative therapy (OBVAT) for convergence insufficiency in children 12 to 17 years old. METHODS In this prospective trial, we recruited 10 participants with normal binocular vision and 12 with convergence insufficiency. All participants with convergence insufficiency were treated with 12 weeks of OBVAT. The primary outcome measure was average peak velocity for 4° symmetrical convergence steps. Other objective outcome measures of disparity vergence included time to peak velocity, latency, and accuracy. Changes in clinical measures (near point of convergence, positive fusional vergence at near) and symptoms were evaluated. RESULTS There was a statistically significant increase in peak velocity and more accurate response amplitude to 4° symmetrical convergence step stimuli after OBVAT compared with baseline measurements. Near point of convergence, positive fusional vergence, and symptoms also statistically significantly improved after OBVAT. Ten of the 12 participants met clinical success criteria. CONCLUSIONS In this prospective study on the treatment of symptomatic convergence insufficiency in children in which both clinical and objective eye movement measurements were used to evaluate the results of treatment, significant changes were found in symptoms and both clinical and objective measures of disparity vergence after completion of OBVAT in children with symptomatic convergence insufficiency.

Identifier

85059246059 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Optometry and Vision Science

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001320

e-ISSN

15389235

ISSN

10405488

PubMed ID

30570596

First Page

3

Last Page

16

Issue

1

Volume

96

Grant

R01EY023261

Fund Ref

National Eye Institute

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