Evaluation of the SpotChecks contrast sensitivity test in children
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Published on: March 17, 2023
Heather A Anderson1, Anusha Rachel Mathew2, Han Cheng2
1College of Optometry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Insights
The SpotChecks test demonstrates reliable repeatability in children and aligns well with the Pelli-Robson test for measuring contrast sensitivity. This visual acuity test shows improvement with age.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
- Visual Science
Background:
- Contrast sensitivity is crucial for visual function.
- Assessing contrast sensitivity in children is important for early detection of visual impairments.
- Established tests like Pelli-Robson are valuable but may have limitations in pediatric settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the intrasession repeatability of the SpotChecks contrast sensitivity test in children.
- To assess the agreement between the SpotChecks test and the Pelli-Robson test for contrast sensitivity measurement in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Forty-three children (aged 4-12 years) participated in a single-visit study.
- Two administrations of SpotChecks and one of Pelli-Robson were performed binocularly.
- Bland-Altman analysis assessed repeatability and agreement; regression evaluated age-related changes.
Main Results:
- SpotChecks exhibited good intrasession repeatability (coefficient of repeatability = 0.14 logCS).
- Excellent agreement was found between SpotChecks and Pelli-Robson (limits of agreement -0.19 to +0.20).
- Both tests showed a significant increase in contrast sensitivity with age.
Conclusions:
- The SpotChecks test is a repeatable and valid tool for assessing contrast sensitivity in children.
- It demonstrates strong agreement with the established Pelli-Robson test.
- Contrast sensitivity naturally improves with age in the pediatric population.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to determine intrasession repeatability of a worksheet style contrast sensitivity test (SpotChecks) in children and agreement with an established contrast sensitivity test (Pelli-Robson).
Methods:
Forty-three children aged 4 to 12 years participated in this single visit study that included two administrations of the SpotChecks binocularly, a single administration of the Pelli-Robson test and other measures of visual performance such as high-contrast visual acuity. Test order was randomised, and participants wore their habitual correction (39 unaided, 4 wearing glasses) for testing. Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the test-retest repeatability of SpotChecks and its agreement with the Pelli-Robson test. Multiple linear regressions were performed to evaluate whether contrast sensitivity was related to participant characteristics such as age, sex and near binocular visual acuity.
Results:
The mean difference in log contrast sensitivity (logCS) between two administrations of the SpotChecks was 0.01, with a coefficient of repeatability (1.96*SD of differences) of 0.14 logCS. The mean difference between SpotChecks and Pelli-Robson was 0.00 logCS with 95% limits of agreement of -0.19 to +0.20. For both tests, a statistically significant increase in logCS was associated with age (slopes were 0.02 logCS/year, p < 0.001 and 0.01 logCS/year, p = 0.02 for the SpotChecks and Pelli-Robson tests, respectively).
Conclusions:
The SpotChecks test shows good intrasession repeatability and excellent agreement with the Pelli-Robson test in children. Contrast sensitivity showed an increase in logCS with age in children for both tests.
