Behavioral and Emotional Problems Associated With Convergence Insufficiency in Children: An Open Trial

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Behavioral Health

Background:

• Convergence insufficiency (CI) is a common vision disorder affecting children.
• CI can be associated with behavioral and emotional difficulties, impacting daily functioning.
• Existing treatments for CI primarily focus on visual outcomes, with less emphasis on associated behavioral aspects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of office-based vergence accommodative therapy (OBVAT) on behavioral and emotional characteristics in children with symptomatic CI.
• To assess changes in attention and internalizing problem scores before and after OBVAT.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 44 children (ages 9-17) with symptomatic CI participated in the study.
• Parents completed the Conners 3 ADHD Index and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) pre- and post-treatment.
• Statistical analysis involved comparing pre-treatment scores with normative data and post-treatment scores with baseline using the Wilcoxon sign rank test.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement was observed in the Conners 3 ADHD Index scores following OBVAT (p < .0001, effect size = 0.58).
• Improvements were most pronounced in children with higher baseline ADHD scores.
• Significant reductions in anxious/depressed, somatic, and internalizing problems were noted on the CBCL (p < .001, effect sizes ranging from -0.36 to -1.15).

Conclusions:

• OBVAT is an effective treatment for improving attention and reducing internalizing problems in children with CI.
• The findings suggest that vision therapy for CI can positively influence a child's behavioral and emotional well-being.
• OBVAT represents a valuable therapeutic option for a holistic approach to managing CI in pediatric populations.