Threshold visual acuity testing of preschool children using the crowded HOTV and Lea Symbols acuity tests

PURPOSE: To compare the testability and threshold acuity levels for very young children on the crowded HOTV logMAR distance visual acuity test presented on the BVAT apparatus and the Lea Symbols logMAR distance visual acuity chart. METHODS: Subjects were 87 Head Start children from age 3 to 3.5 years. Testing consisted of binocular pretraining at near using a lap card as needed, binocular pretraining at 3 m, and threshold testing for each eye. The testing procedure, adapted from the Amblyopia Treatment Study, presented optotypes until the child was unable to correctly name or match three of three or three of four optotypes of a given size. Threshold acuity was the smallest size for which at least three optotypes were correctly identified. RESULTS: Both near and distance pretraining were completed by 71% of children for HOTV and by 75% for Lea Symbols (P =.39). The distribution of threshold acuities differed between the two tests. For the 69 eyes of 53 children who were successfully tested with both optotypes, results from the crowded HOTV acuity test were on average 0.25 logMar (2.5 lines) better than those from the Lea Symbols acuity test (P <.001). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of children between 3 and 3.5 years of age whose monocular visual acuity could be assessed was high and was similar for the two charts tested. Crowded HOTV acuity results were better on average than results using Lea symbols. The different formats of the two tests may explain the observed differences in threshold acuity level.     

Sensitivity and specificity of a visual acuity screening protocol performed with the Lea Symbols 15-line folding distance chart in preschool children

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of a visual acuity (VA) test using the Lea Symbols 15-line folding distance chart and its diagnostic validity in detecting VA deficiency in preschool children. METHODS: A group of 149 children aged 38-54 months underwent VA examination performed with the Lea 15-line folding optotype at a distance of 3 metres, according to a test protocol described in the Methods section. After the VA test, a complete ophthalmological examination, including cycloplegic retinoscopy, a cover test and examination of the anterior and posterior segments, was performed on each child in order to detect any VA-threatening ocular abnormality. The Lea Symbols test's sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR +, LR -) and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were calculated by means of standard procedures using each VA level of the chart from 0.1 to 1 (1-0 logMAR) as a cut-off point. RESULTS: The Lea Symbols test could be successfully used in 95.9% of the population. The most useful cut-off points for screening preschool children were found to be 0.8 (LR + 5.73, LR - 0.05) or 0.63 (LR + 11.7, LR - 0.23). CONCLUSION: The Lea Symbols test proved to be clinically useful in detecting VA deficiency in preschool children. The choice between the two best performing cut-off levels should be made according to the expected cost-effectiveness of the screening programme.     

Visual acuity testing in diabetic subjects: the decimal progression chart versus the Freiburg visual acuity test

Purpose To study reproducibility and biological variation of visual acuity in diabetic maculopathy, using two different visual acuity tests, the decimal progression chart and the Freiburg visual acuity test.Methods Twenty-two eyes in 11 diabetic subjects were examined several times within a 12-month period using both visual acuity tests. The most commonly used visual acuity test in Denmark (the decimal progression chart) was compared to the Freiburg visual acuity test (automated testing) in a paired study.Results Correlation analysis revealed agreement between the two methods (r²=0.79; slope=0.82; y-axis intercept=0.01). The mean visual acuity was found to be 15% higher (P<0.0001) with the decimal progression chart than with the Freiburg visual acuity test. The reproducibility was the same in both tests (coefficient of variation: 12% for each test); however, the variation within the 12-month examination period differed significantly. The coefficient of variation was 17% using the decimal progression chart, 35% with the Freiburg visual acuity test.Conclusion The reproducibility of the two visual acuity tests is comparable under optimal testing conditions in diabetic subjects with macular oedema. However, it appears that the Freiburg visual acuity test is significantly better for detection of biological variation.Sponsoring organisation: NoneCommercial interest in equipment: None     

Lea Symbols与Tumbling E视力表在学龄前儿童视力检查中的应用

目的比较LeaSymbols视力表与TumblingE视力表在学龄前儿童中视力的检测率、视力值和双眼间视力差异。方法对温州市某幼儿园一小班24名36～50(平均43.2±3.71)个月的儿童以随机顺序先后用LeaSymbols与TumblingE视力表检查单眼视力,视力值用logMAR记录方法来表示,用logMAR单位记录双眼视力差异。结果Leasymbols视力表的检测率为96%,Tum-blingE视力表的检测率为71%,其中33只眼能配合查Leasymbols与TumblingE,TumblingE的视力为0.26±0.10,Leasymbols的视力为0.19±0.10,两者呈线形相关(相关系数r=0.76),两者作配对t检验有显著性差异(t=6.068,p<0.0001),16名儿童用LeaSymbols测得的双眼视力差别为-0.004±0.065,用TumblingE测得的双眼视力差别为-0.019±0.067,两者呈线形相关(相关系数r=0.65),统计学分析两者无显著性差异(p=0.296)。结论Leasymbols视力表检查学龄前儿童视力特别是3～4周岁的儿童检测率高,LeaSymbols与TumblingE视力表一样能够很好地反映双眼间视力的差别,但与TumblingE视力表相比,LeaSymbols视力表存在过高估计视力的可能。视力的测定是个心理物理学过程,对于学龄前儿童,我们不能简单地根据视力小于0.8判断其弱视,而是要从儿童的认知水平来考虑。     

Comparison of visual acuity measurements via three different methods in preschool children: Lea symbols,crowded Lea symbols,Snellen E chart

Purpose

The aim of this study was to compare three different methods to measure visual acuity (VA) in healthy and amblyopic preschool children: a Snellen E chart (SE), a single Lea symbols (SLS), and a crowded Lea symbols (CLS).

Methods

Seventy-eight eyes of 54 patients (28 females, 26 males) were included in this cross-sectional, comparative study. The control group consisted of 30 healthy cases, and the amblyopic group consisted of 24 patients with amblyopia. Best-corrected VA (BCVA) measurements with SLS, CLS, and SE were compared in control eyes (CE), amblyopic eyes (AE), and fellow eyes (FE) separately.

Results

The mean age of the cohort was 5.7 ± 0.7 years (range 5–7 years). The mean refractive error was +1.02 ± 0.36 D (diopter, spherical equivalent) in CE, +5.59 ± 2.45 D in AE, and +3.96 ± 2.38 D in FE. The median BCVA (logMAR) was (in order of SLS, CLS, and SE) 0.00 [interquartile range (IQR) 0.10], 0.10 (IQR 0.10), 0.00 (IQR 0.10) in CE, 0.25 (IQR 0.33), 0.35 (IQR 0.30), 0.25 (IQR 0.38) in AE, and 0.10 (IQR 0.08), 0.10 (IQR 0.00), 0.10 (IQR 0.10) in FE. There was no statistically significant difference between the three methods in terms of the CE or FE (p > 0.05). In contrast, there was a statistically significant difference in AE (p < 0.05). The mean VA measurement with SLS was higher compared with CLS in AE. A positive and strong correlation between the three charts was found in all of the groups (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

We found SLS, CLS, and SE to be consistent: all three methods can be used to obtain measurements of VA in healthy and amblyopic preschool children.

     

Visual acuity tests using chart, line, and single optotype in healthy and amblyopic children.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference between full chart, single line, and single optotypes visual acuity (VA) test results in healthy and amblyopic children. METHODS: Thirty-five children with amblyopia (20 with strabismus and 15 with anisometropia) and 40 ophthalmologically normal age-matched children were examined. The mean age of the patients in the study and control groups did not differ significantly (P= .9). A commercial projector that projected tumbling-E randomly placed optotypes was used. The VA of the amblyopic eye of the patients in the study group and the right eye of the patients in the control group was examined first using a full chart of optotypes, then using a single line of optotypes, and finally with individual symbols. The procedure was repeated with the other eye. RESULTS: LogMAR VA improved when the full chart was substituted with a single line, and improved by a similar increment further with single optotypes, in both the study and control groups. VA improved significantly more in eyes with amblyopia than in control subjects. Results were not influenced by age. CONCLUSION: VA testing using a single line gives better, sometimes misleading results, than tests with a full chart because it reduces but does not eliminate the crowding effect. When using a device that can employ more than 1 mode, the exacttest mode should be specified and maintained throughout the follow-up.     

An arabic letter distance visual acuity test chart for young children and illiterate adults

This paper describes the design of a kinetic response Arabic letter distance visual acuity test chart for young children and illiterate adults. An Arabic letter ein which has previously been used in the design of Arabic alphabet VA charts was employed. Four different orientations of the letter were constructed on a 5 x 5 unit format and graded according to log MAR principle of acuity scaling using an Apple computer. Inter-letter space in each row was made equal to the width of each letter in the row, and inter-row space was made equal to the height of letters in the next lower row. The chart has 14 acuity rows ranging from 4/40 to 4/2 (6/60 to 6/3) (20/200 to 20/10) (log MAR 1.0 to -0.3) at 4 metres. To establish the validity of the chart, acuity values obtained using the chart were compared with those from an existing Arabic log MAR distance VA chart and the Bailey and Lovie distance VA chart. Test retest reliability of the chart was also examined statistically. Results show that VA values from the new chart were significantly similar with those from which it was compared, and that values from the chart are reliable. The chart will be useful for evaluating vision, especially for young children and illiterate adults.     

Visual acuity measured via the Freiburg visual acuity test (FVT), Bailey Lovie chart and Landolt Ring chart

INTRODUCTION: If different ways for correcting refractive errors of the human eye have to be compared, accurate and reproducible measurement procedures are necessary. METHODS: Binocular visual acuity of 130 students without pathologies was measured with the Freiburg Visual Acuity Test, the Bailey-Lovie chart and a Landolt ring chart (4 orientations). The reproducibility of the FVT was determined by repeated measurements. RESULTS: The average visual acuity was 1.93 +/- 0.03 (= 20/10.4) with the FVT, 1.82 +/- 0.03 (= 20/11) with the Landolt ring chart, and 1.48 +/- 0.02 (= 20/13.5) with the Bailey-Lovie chart. 50 % of all repeated measurements with the FVT were within an interval of +/- 0.035 logMAR from the mean value. 95 % were within +/- 0.1 logMAR. Results of earlier studies are discussed. CONCLUSION: On average, visual acuity values found with the Freiburg Visual Acuity Test were slightly larger as compared to the Landolt ring chart (difference = 0.025 logMAR). Taking the maximal difference of 0.05 logMAR tolerated by the international standard DIN EN ISO 8597 into account, both tests are equivalent. The results found with the Bailey-Lovie chart were substantially lower as compared to the Landolt ring chart (difference = 0.09 logMAR). The Freiburg Visual Acuity Test has a high reproducibility and measures visual acuity on a continuous scale that is not limited to the traditional visual acuity steps. Thus, it can be recommended as a reference procedure for comparative visual acuity studies.     

Visual acuity change and mortality in older adults

PURPOSE: Several studies indicate an increased mortality rate in older adults who have visual impairment, but few have attempted to address a potential causal mechanism. The goals of this study are to determine whether visual acuity loss increases the risk of dying and to examine whether depressive symptoms act as a mediator in this relationship. METHODS: Data were derived from the 2520 older adults who participated in the Salisbury Eye Evaluation project, a population-based prospective 8-year cohort study. Presenting binocular visual acuity was measured with the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study [ETDRS] eye chart and depressive symptoms with the General Health Questionnaire Part D subscale. Mortality data were collected by staff follow-up. Analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: Worse baseline acuity was associated with a higher mortality rate (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.09). Also, those who gained two or more lines of visual acuity over 2 years had a lower adjusted risk of dying (HR = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.23-0.95). An interaction was detected, in that women who lost > or =3 lines of visual acuity over a 2-year period had a higher adjusted risk of dying (HR = 3.97; 95% CI, 2.21-7.15), whereas men did not (HR = 1.32; 95% CI, 0.66-2.63). Depressive symptoms did not mediate these relationships. CONCLUSIONS: If the relationship between visual acuity and mortality is indeed causal, it most likely acts via numerous pathways through a variety of intervening variables. The identification of these intervening variables could give additional targets for intervention if acuity cannot be restored.     

Visual acuity screening versus noncycloplegic autorefraction screening for astigmatism in Native American preschool children.

INTRODUCTION: Visual acuity screening (VAS) is less reliable in preschoolers than in school-aged children as a means of detecting significant refractive error. We wished to compare the effectiveness of VAS with the effectiveness of an objective method, noncycloplegic autorefraction screening (NCARS), in detecting the presence of significant astigmatism warranting spectacle correction. METHODS: We examined 245 Native American Head Start registrants aged 3 to 5 years. We attempted to obtain uncorrected visual acuity using Lea Symbols logMAR Chart (Precision Vision Inc, Villa Park, Ill), noncycloplegic autorefraction using the Nikon Retinomax K-plus (Nikon Corp, Melville, NY), and cycloplegic refraction (CR) on each eye. The VAS failure criterion was either a 2-line acuity difference between eyes or acuity worse than 20/40 in either eye. The NCARS and CR failure criterion was the spectacle correction threshold exceeding the 50th percentile on the basis of a survey of AAPOS members. RESULTS: We completed VAS in 96% of children and NCARS and CR in 100% of children. There was high prevalence (31%) of significant astigmatic refractive error in this sample. Ten subjects who did not permit bilateral visual acuity measurements were scored as having a positive test result. The sensitivity and specificity of VAS were 90% and 44%, respectively. NCARS had sensitivity and specificity of 91% and 86%, respectively. NCARS becomes cost-effective after 1044 children are screened, assuming that the cost of the autorefractor is 300 times the cost of the referral examination. CONCLUSION: VAS offers high sensitivity but suffers from poor specificity. NCARS greatly reduces the number of unnecessary referrals. In this population, NCARS becomes cost-effective after approximately 1000 children are screened.     

Visual acuity in Danish school children

The medical records of 8769 school children attending the 2nd-5th grades in the Municipality of Odense have been scrutinized with regard to visual acuity. 1216 children were subject to examination, of these 1034 were found to have reduced vision due to anomalies of refraction other causes. Bilateral reduction in vision of less than or equal to 6/18 was observed in 8 children corresponding to 0.09%. Unilateral reduction in sight of less than or equal to 6/12 (employed here as the definition of amblyopia) was seen in 1.07% of the children. This applied to 1.39% of the boys and 0.73% of the girls; the difference is statistically significant. The lower frequency of amblyopia as compared to earlier investigations is probably a consequence of better vision screening during preschool age.     

Visual acuity norms in young children

There are no universally accepted standards for visual acuity tests or norms in young (3-6-year-old) children, although acuity measurement is important in both clinical and screening settings. This review outlines the requirements for such standards. Although more research is needed, available data suggest that a standard test should meet the following requirements. It should utilize a letter optotype (tumbling E, Landolt C, or HOTV variant of the STYCAR), and single optotype with contour interaction bar surround. It should permit nonverbal pointing responses in younger children and verbal responses in older children. If an orientation-specifying method is followed, as with the E or Landolt C, the test should use a three-alternative choice--up, down, and sideways with a nondifferentiated left-right--rather than the traditional four alternative choice. A C-like O pseudo-optotype should be considered in a paired-comparison test format when the Landolt C is utilized, with a similar format for the tumbling E if a suitable pseudo-optotype can be derived. The optical grating test, which is widely used in infant testing, may underestimate acuity deficits and so is not a test of choice for determination of Snellen-equivalent acuity. A letter-based variant of the grating test may hold promise. Reduction in testing distance from 6 to 3 or 4 meters is recommended.     

Visual acuity after cycloplegia in children: implications for atropine penalization.

BACKGROUND: Atropinization of the sound eye is an alternative to patching in the treatment of amblyopia. Whether atropine treatment can induce a switch in fixation depends on the refractive error of the sound eye, visual acuity of the amblyopic eye, distance from the fixation target, and presence of any optical correction or penalization. General guidelines are needed on the basis of refractive error and visual acuity in the amblyopic eye to predict which patients may potentially benefit from atropine penalization. METHODS: Refractive error and visual acuity at distance (6 m) and/or at near (33 cm) were recorded in a normal eye of 126 consecutive children (mean age, 8.2 years), 30 to 60 minutes after receiving cyclopentolate 1%. Visual acuity was plotted versus refractive error at distance and at near, and best-fit curves were calculated. RESULTS: There was a consistent, reproducible relationship between refractive error and visual acuity after cycloplegia at both distance and near in healthy children. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study can be used to quickly determine whether atropine penalization has the potential for success on the basis of a patient's visual acuity in the amblyopic eye and refractive error in the sound eye. When adequate hyperopia is present in the sound eye, one should consider testing for fixation preference or initiating a therapeutic trial of atropine. Those children with insufficient hyperopia in the sound eye relative to visual acuity in the amblyopic eye can be spared the time, expense, and potential side effects of atropine penalization.     

Visual acuity assessment in infants and young children

The accurate and reliable assessment of visual function in infants and young children is important for ensuring optimal management of those at risk of abnormal visual development. Visual acuity is the aspect of visual function most commonly assessed by optometrists and can be measured in infants and children using appropriate techniques. Acuity measurements obtained using different techniques may show considerable disagreement and may mislead the optometrist when monitoring acuity development. It is important for the practitioner to appreciate these differences so that reasonable comparisons may be made between acuity estimates made using different techniques. With this in mind, we discuss methodological differences between some of the techniques used in visual assessment of very young patients and the effects those differences may have on acuity estimates.