Proximal and accommodative convergence and age

The authors have estimated the phoria for distant and near fixation in two groups of subjects (mean age 27.5 ± 4.4 and 59.2 ± 8.2 years). Different accommodative stimuli were induced by adding minus lenses for distant fixation and plus lenses for near fixation. Statistical analysis of the experimental data indicates that, for distant fixation, the value of phoria per unit of accommodative stimulus is significantly lower in presbyopic than in nonpresbyopic subjects. Also, during near fixation, the accommodative convergence (AC/A ratio) is more reliable in the presbyopic subjects when the accommodative stimulus is progressively reduced. This varying behavior indicates in presbyopic subjects that proximal convergence is of greater relative importance in the determination of the fusion-free position. In nonpresbyopic subjects, accommodative convergence is the more important component.