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Comparison of Patti Pics and Lea Symbols optotypes in children and adults
Michele E Mercer1, James R Drover, Kaitlin J Penney
1Department of Psychology, Faculties of Science and Medicine, Memorial University, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada. michelem@mun.ca
Insights
Pediatric visual acuity tests, Patti Pics and Lea Symbols, were compared. Patti Pics demonstrated better consistency with the adult gold standard visual acuity test.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
Background:
- Numerous pediatric visual acuity tests exist, but direct comparisons within patient groups and against adult standards are limited.
- Standardized testing is crucial for accurate early eye and vision screening in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the performance of two leading pediatric visual acuity tests, Patti Pics and Lea Symbols, against each other and against an adult gold standard.
- To evaluate the consistency of pediatric visual acuity measurements with established adult testing methods.
Main Methods:
- 80 preschoolers (3-5 years old) and 52 adults were tested using Patti Pics and Lea Symbols at 3 meters.
- Adults were also tested with a Mass VAT Sloan letter test as the gold standard.
Main Results:
- Both children and adults achieved better visual acuity with Lea Symbols compared to Patti Pics (0.07-0.11 logMAR difference).
- Adult visual acuity with Lea Symbols was 0.09 logMAR better than with Sloan letters.
- Patti Pics acuity showed strong statistical agreement with the adult Sloan letter test.
Conclusions:
- Both Patti Pics and Lea Symbols exhibit excellent testability in young children.
- The Patti Pics optotypes yield visual acuity values more consistent with the adult gold standard Sloan letter test.
Purpose:
Although a great variety of pediatric tests of visual acuity exist, few have been compared directly within the same patients or have been evaluated directly against an adult gold standard.
Methods:
Right eyes from 80 3- to 5-year-old preschoolers were tested at 3 m with the two current pediatric optotype tests-the Patti Pics and the Lea Symbols (Mass VAT versions)-that best adhere to the international standard for early eye and vision screening. For comparison, right eyes from 52 adults were tested under the same conditions with both pediatric tests and with a gold standard Mass VAT Sloan letter test.
Results:
Compared with the Patti Pics, both children and adults showed relatively better and finer levels of visual acuity with Lea Symbols (0.07-0.11 logMAR better). Compared with Sloan letters, adults' acuity was also 0.09 logMAR better with the Lea Symbols but was virtually identical and also showed good statistical agreement with Patti Pics acuity.
Conclusions:
Although both pediatric tests show excellent testability, our data suggest that acuity values obtained with the Patti Pics optotypes are more consistent with those obtained with a gold standard visual acuity test used for older children and adults.
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