Movement hyperacuity in childhood amblyopia

Abstract

Background. Amblyopia results in deficits in a number of visual functions in both the amblyopic and dominant eye. The present work describes oscillatory movement displacement thresholds (OMDT) in childhood amblyopia. Methods. The OMDT from the dominant and amblyopic eyes of 50 orthoptic patients (aged 74 (SD 16) months) were compared with those from a group of 24 controls (79 (21) months). OMDT were measured using a forced choice staircase procedure. Subjects were asked to identify which of the computer controlled monitors displayed the oscillating stimulus. Visual acuity and stereoscopic responses were noted from clinical records. Results. Amblyopic children demonstrating stereopsis showed no significant OMDT deficit in the amblyopic eye. Those children having no stereopsis had elevated OMDT in the amblyopic eye (p < 0.05). Results suggest that the dominant eye of children with amblyopia may also have a pattern of visual development which is anomalous (difference in correlation coefficient with age; p < 0.05). Conclusion. OMDT deficits demonstrated in some amblyopic eyes indicate that amblyopia is incompletely described by its 'clinical' definition. Results suggest that the dominant eye in those with unilateral amblyopia may not be 'normal'.