Fixational stability as a measure for the recovery of visual function in amblyopia

Abstract

People with amblyopia have been shown to have decreased fixational stability, particularly those with strabismic amblyopia. Fixational stability and visual acuity have been shown to be tightly correlated across multiple studies, suggesting a relationship between acuity and oculomotor stability. Reduced visual acuity is the sine qua non of amblyopia, and recovery is measured by the improvement in visual acuity. Here we ask whether fixational stability can be used as an objective marker for the recovery of visual function in amblyopia. We tracked children's fixational stability during patching treatment over time and found fixational stability changes alongside improvements in visual acuity. This suggests fixational stability can be used as an objective measure for monitoring treatment in amblyopia and other disorders.