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Screening athletes with Down syndrome for ocular disease
Walter Gutstein1, Stephen H Sinclair, Rachel V North
1School of Optometry & Vision Sciences, Cardiff University & Salus University, Cardiff, United Kingdom, and Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, USA. gutstein@optometrist.at
Optometry (St. Louis, Mo.)
|February 16, 2010
Summary
Vision screening for individuals with Down syndrome is crucial. The Central Vision Analyzer (CVA) demonstrated superior sensitivity and specificity compared to the Lea Symbol chart in detecting ocular pathology and refractive errors.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Genetics
- Public Health
Background:
- Individuals with Down syndrome exhibit a high prevalence of vision and eye health issues.
- Many of these conditions remain undetected due to infrequent ocular examinations.
- Public screening programs often utilize traditional charts, necessitating evaluation of alternative methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of the Lea Symbol chart and the Vimetrics Central Vision Analyzer (CVA) in identifying ocular disease and refractive errors in the Down syndrome population.
- To assess the sensitivity and specificity of these two vision screening methods.
Main Methods:
- Ocular screening of athletes with Down syndrome, including history, auto-refraction, and comprehensive eye examinations.
- Visual acuity was assessed using both the Lea Symbol chart and the CVA.
- Data collected to evaluate the detection rates of ocular pathology and uncorrected refractive errors.
Main Results:
- Out of 79 participants, 18% had significant uncorrected refractive errors and 32% had ocular pathology.
- The Lea chart showed 43% sensitivity and 74% specificity for ocular pathology.
- The CVA demonstrated 70% sensitivity and 86% specificity for ocular pathology, and 71% sensitivity and 100% specificity for refractive errors.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms a high incidence of refractive errors and ocular pathology in the Down syndrome population.
- The Lea Symbol chart exhibited borderline sensitivity and specificity for screening.
- The Vimetrics Central Vision Analyzer (CVA) shows promise as a more effective screening tool for this population, particularly with adjusted normative values.
