The effect of saccades and brief fusional stimuli on phoria adaptation

The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether brief fusional stimuli and saccades similar to those seen in the alternate cover test affect phoria disadaptation.

Three cover test conditions were performed randomly. Before each test condition, subjects fused for 2 min at an angle convergent to the subjective phoria. In one test condition, subjects viewed monocularly. In another condition, subjects alternately fixated with each eye (no binocular time). In a third condition, subjects alternately fixated with each eye, and there was a 100-ms period of binocular viewing between alternations. The ocular vergence angle was monitored using scleral search coils.

Vergence angle was plotted against time for each condition. The area under this plot was determined using a computer program. The area reflected the rate at which ocular vergence returned to the original phoria position. The mean area for the monocular condition was 300.9, the mean area for alternate fixation with no binocular time was 300.3, and the mean area for alternate fixation with binocular time was 205.2.

Saccadic alternations do not affect phoria adaptation. However, short periods in which binocular disparate images are viewed significantly increase the rate at which phoria adaptation declines for some subjects.