Vergence and accommodation system in malay primary school children.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Vision Science
• Pediatric Optometry
• Binocular Vision Research

Background:

• Binocular vision, encompassing accommodation and vergence, is crucial for visual development in children.
• Understanding age-related changes in these functions is vital for diagnosing and managing visual impairments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-related differences in accommodation and vergence functions in primary school children.
• To establish normative data for binocular vision parameters in Malay children.
• To compare findings with existing literature for clinical guideline development.

Main Methods:

• Sixty primary school children aged 7-12 years were assessed.
• Measurements included accommodation facility, accuracy, relative accommodation, vergence facility, fusional vergence/reserve, and heterophoria.
• Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to determine age-related significance.

Main Results:

• No significant age differences were found for accommodation facility, accuracy, relative accommodation, or vergence facility (p>0.05).
• A significant age difference (p<0.05) was observed in fusional reserve.
• Mean values for various parameters were recorded, including accommodation facility (20.08 cpm), vergence facility (20.18 cpm), and heterophoria at distance (-0.28 PD).

Conclusions:

• While most accommodation and vergence parameters remain stable between ages 7 and 12, fusional reserve shows age-related variability.
• These findings provide valuable reference data for interpreting binocular vision assessments in Malay children.
• The study highlights the importance of considering age when evaluating fusional reserve in pediatric populations.