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Published on: October 10, 2013
Distance and near visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and visual fields of 10-year-old children
V S Myers1, N Gidlewski, G E Quinn
1Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
Insights
This study establishes normative visual acuity and contrast sensitivity data for 10-year-old children using standardized charts. These findings provide essential benchmarks for pediatric eye care and research.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
- Vision Science
Background:
- Establishing normative visual function data in children is crucial for identifying potential vision impairments.
- Previous studies have focused on preterm infants, leaving a gap in normative data for full-term children using specific testing protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure monocular distance visual acuity, near visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and visual field extent in healthy, full-term 10-year-old children.
- To compare these measurements with data from preterm children using the Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity study protocol.
- To provide normative data for pediatric vision assessment.
Main Methods:
- 106 healthy, full-term children aged 9.8-10.9 years with corrected ametropia were tested monocularly.
- Standardized charts including Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) visual acuity charts and Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity charts were used.
- Goldmann perimetry was performed using V-4-e and III-4-e stimuli.
Main Results:
- Mean distance visual acuity was 20/19.6 (0.082 log unit) and mean near visual acuity was 20/19.5 (0.100 log unit).
- Mean contrast sensitivity was 1.69 (0.12 log unit), with 36.4 letters read.
- Visual field extent was greater with the V-4-e stimulus compared to the III-4-e stimulus.
Conclusions:
- This study presents the first monocular normative data for 10-year-old children using ETDRS and Pelli-Robson charts.
- The findings contribute valuable data to the understanding of visual field extent in children via Goldmann perimetry.
- These normative values serve as essential benchmarks for pediatric eye examinations and research.
Objective:
To measure monocular distance visual acuity, near visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and visual field extent in full-term, 10-year-old children tested according to the protocol used to test 10-year-old preterm children in the Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity study.
Subjects And Methods:
Subjects were 106 healthy, full-term children, 9.8 to 10.9 years of age, who had no ocular abnormalities other than ametropia. All were tested monocularly using Early Treatment and Diabetic Retinopathy Study distance and near visual acuity charts and Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity charts, with refractive error corrected according to Cryotherapy for Retinopathy of Prematurity study criteria. Goldmann perimetry was tested without correction using the V-4-e and III-4-e stimuli along 8 meridia. A standard pediatric eye examination was performed on each subject.
Results:
Mean (SD) distance visual acuity was 20/19.6 OD (0.082 log unit [lu]) and mean near visual acuity was 20/19.5 OD (0.100 lu). Mean (SD) contrast sensitivity was 1.69 OD (0.12 lu), with a mean (SD) of 36.4 (2.2) letters read. Visual field extent was larger for the V-4-e stimulus than for the III-4-e stimulus.
Conclusions:
The results provide the first monocular normative data from a large sample of 10-year-old children tested with Early Treatment and Diabetic Retinopathy Study distance and near visual acuity charts and the Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity charts, and add to the literature on Goldmann perimetry in children.
