Developmental aspects of the Brückner test

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Medicine
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• The Brückner test is used to assess visual function in infants.
• Fundus reflexes, observed during the Brückner test, can exhibit age-related variations.
• Understanding normal variations is crucial for differentiating from pathological findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-related changes in fundus reflex behavior during the Brückner test in normal infants.
• To establish developmental norms for fundus reflex dimming in infants from birth to 10 months.
• To determine the significance of asymmetric fundus reflexes in early infancy.

Main Methods:

• Examination of normal infants aged newborn to 10 months.
• Performance of the Brückner test to observe fundus reflexes.
• Assessment of reflex symmetry and dimming during central fixation.

Main Results:

• Infants 8 months and older typically exhibit symmetric dimming of fundus reflexes with fixation.
• Neonates and infants under 2 months often lack reflex dimming, likely due to accommodative immaturity.
• Asymmetric dimming occurs in up to 28% of infants between 2 and 8 months of age.

Conclusions:

• Fundus reflex behavior during the Brückner test shows significant age-related development in infants.
• Asymmetric fundus reflexes in infants aged 2-8 months may be a normal developmental finding.
• This contrasts with older children, where asymmetry often indicates pathology.