Visual motor integration, visual perception and motor coordination in children with horizontal strabismus

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Developmental Psychology
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Horizontal strabismus is a common condition affecting eye alignment in children.
• Visual motor integration (VMI) is crucial for academic and daily activities.
• Previous research has primarily focused on amblyopic children, leaving the impact on non-amblyopic individuals less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare visual motor integration (VMI) abilities in non-amblyopic children diagnosed with horizontal strabismus versus those without strabismus.
• To assess differences in visual perception and motor coordination between these two groups.

Main Methods:

• The study enrolled 45 non-amblyopic children with horizontal strabismus and 45 age-matched controls without strabismus (aged 6-17 years).
• Participants underwent evaluation using the Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration (Beery-VMI) and its supplementary tests for visual perception and motor coordination.
• Statistical analyses were performed to compare scores between groups, adjusting for potential confounding factors like sex, age, and sports participation.

Main Results:

• Children with horizontal strabismus demonstrated significantly lower mean scores in Beery-VMI (P<0.001).
• The strabismus group also exhibited significantly poorer visual perception (P<0.001) and motor coordination (P<0.001) compared to controls.
• These differences remained significant even after adjusting for confounding variables.

Conclusions:

• Non-amblyopic children with horizontal strabismus exhibit significant deficits in visual motor integration, visual perception, and motor coordination.
• These findings suggest that horizontal strabismus can impact fundamental developmental skills beyond visual acuity, even in the absence of amblyopia.