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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
The Measurement and Treatment of Suppression in Amblyopia
Published on: December 14, 2012
Fixation patterns evaluation by means of MP-1 microperimeter in microstrabismic children treated for unilateral
P Carpineto1, M Ciancaglini, M Nubile
1Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, Section of Ophthalmology, University G. D'Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, Italy. p.carpineto@unich.it
Insights
Microstrabismic eyes in children show impaired visual acuity, fixation position, and stability post-amblyopia treatment. Pretreatment visual acuity and treatment duration impact fixation outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Strabismus Research
Background:
- Unilateral amblyopia treatment aims to improve visual acuity.
- Microstrabismus can persist or develop after amblyopia treatment, affecting visual function.
- Understanding fixation patterns in treated microstrabismic children is crucial for long-term visual outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the fixation patterns in microstrabismic children previously treated for unilateral amblyopia.
- To compare fixation position and stability between microstrabismic and fellow eyes.
- To identify factors influencing fixation in this patient group.
Main Methods:
- Study included 33 children (mean age 7.3 years) with treated unilateral amblyopia and microstrabismus.
- Visual acuity (VA) measured using Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study charts.
- Fixation assessed using MP-1 microperimeter, analyzing centrality and stability; Mann-Whitney and linear regression used for statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- Microstrabismic eyes had significantly reduced VA compared to fellow eyes (p<0.001).
- Fixation position (centrality) and stability were significantly worse in microstrabismic eyes (p=0.002 and p<0.001, respectively).
- Pretreatment VA correlated with fixation centrality and stability; treatment duration correlated with fixation stability.
Conclusions:
- Visual acuity, fixation centrality, and stability are significantly impaired in microstrabismic eyes of treated children.
- Pretreatment visual acuity is a risk factor for fixation impairment.
- The duration of anti-amblyopic treatment is linked to the severity of fixation stability impairment.
Purpose:
The aim of the study was to evaluate the fixation patterns of microstrabismic children previously treated for unilateral amblyopia.
Methods:
Thirty-three children (mean age 7.3+/-1.5 years) were included in the study. Visual acuity (VA) was measured using the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study charts. Fixationwas assessed by MP-1 microperimeter. Differences in position and stability of fixation between the fellow and the microstrabismic eyes were calculated by using the percentage of the preferred fixation points within central fixation and the percentage of the fixation points within target fixation, respectively. For statistical analysis Mann-Whitney test was used. To evaluate the influence of age and duration of anti-amblyopic treatment on microstrabismic eyes fixation, linear regression analysis was performed.
Results:
In the microstrabismic eyes VA was significantly reduced when compared to the fellow eyes (0.1236+/-0.0204 vs 0.0042+/-0.0032 logMAR; p<0.001). Position and stability of fixation were significantly better in the fellow eyes (93.21+/-0.65% vs 70.91+/-4.80%; p=0.002, and 89.88+/-0.94% vs 71.73+/-2.94%; p<0.001, respectively). A significant correlation was found between fixation stability and both the duration of anti-amblyopic treatment and pretreatment VA (p=0.024 and p=0.009, respectively) and between fixation centrality and pretreatment VA (p<0.001).
Conclusions:
VA, centrality, and stability of fixation were significantly impaired in the microstrabismic eyes. Pretreatment VA was a risk factor for fixation impairment. The severity of fixation stability impairment was linked to the duration of anti-amblyopic treatment.
