Is The Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey Specific for Convergence Insufficiency? A Prospective, Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Vision Science
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Convergence insufficiency (CI) is a common condition affecting near vision.
• The Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) is frequently used to assess CI treatment outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic specificity of the CISS questionnaire.
• To compare CISS scores between patients with and without convergence insufficiency.
• To assess the impact of administration method (self vs. practitioner) on CISS scores.

Main Methods:

• A prospective randomized trial involving 118 adolescent patients undergoing routine eye exams.
• Comparison of CISS scores between patients diagnosed with CI and those with normal binocular vision (NBV).
• Analysis of differences in CISS scores based on self-administration versus practitioner administration.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in mean CISS scores was found between NBV patients (14.1±11.3) and CI patients (12.3±6.7).
• Mean CISS scores were significantly higher when self-administered (16.3±11.4) compared to practitioner-administered (11.4±7.9).

Conclusions:

• The CISS questionnaire does not appear to be a specific diagnostic measure for convergence insufficiency.
• Self-administration of the CISS may lead to higher scores compared to practitioner administration, potentially affecting diagnostic accuracy.