Evaluation of computer-based testing for aniseikonia in children

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Optometry
• Vision Science

Background:

• Aniseikonia, a condition causing visual discomfort due to unequal image sizes between the eyes, can be challenging to measure in children.
• Computer-based methods offer potential for more objective and reliable aniseikonia assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess children's ability to perform computer-based size matching tasks.
• To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of aniseikonia measurement using the Aniseikonia Inspector software (version 1).

Main Methods:

• Fifty-seven children (grades 1, 3, 5) performed four trials under control, dissociated, and size lens induced aniseikonia conditions.
• Participants adjusted a variable semicircle size to match a fixed semicircle size using computer keys.
• Testing utilized large targets in the dark with red/green filters for dissociation.

Main Results:

• Children demonstrated capability in performing the computer-based adjustments.
• Dissociated measurements showed high reliability with narrow confidence limits across age groups.
• Induced aniseikonia measurements exhibited wider confidence limits, indicating variability.

Conclusions:

• Children as young as 6 can reliably use the Aniseikonia Inspector for clinically useful aniseikonia measurement.
• Further research is needed to understand how children with naturally occurring aniseikonia perform on this test.