Prevalence of binocular vision dysfunctions in professional football players

Frequency of Non-strabismic Binocular Vision Anomalies among Optometrists in a Tertiary Eye Care Center in Southern India

Purpose

Lifestyle in the modern era has drastically changed across the globe, and the healthcare profession was no exception. The increased time spent in the virtual space for various purposes, including online classes and webinars, is hypothesized to increase the risk of vision-related disorders such as asthenopia, dry eyes, and visual fatigue. The purpose of this study was to evaluate fusional vergence and ocular accommodation among optometry professionals in a tertiary eye care center during the immediate post-coronavirus disease 2019 (post-COVID-19) lockdown period.

Methods

Optometrists posted in the general out-patient department, specialty clinics, and the ocular diagnostics department were included in the study. A total of 65 optometrists were included in the study. All optometrists underwent a comprehensive binocular vision assessment. Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey questionnaires were administered to all optometrists at the beginning of the assessment.

Results

Out of 65 optometrists, 48 (73.8%) were women. The mean (standard deviation) age of the participants was 24 (3) years. Eleven (16.9%) optometrists had normal binocular vision parameters, and the rest 54 (83.1%) had non-strabismic binocular vision anomalies. Reduced accommodative facility and convergence insufficiency were seen among 43 (66.2%) optometrists, whereas 30 (46.2%) had reduced accommodative facility alone. Twelve (18.5%) participants were symptomatic as per the convergence insufficiency symptom survey.

Conclusion

This study highlights the fact that a large proportion of optometrists have undetected non-strabismic binocular vision anomalies in a tertiary eye care center. It is important for eye care professionals to undergo regular binocular vision assessments in association with ophthalmic examinations and relevant management. This will ensure that these dysfunctions do not impede work productivity and overall quality of life.

Kinematic Assessment of Fine Motor Skills in Children: Comparison of a Kinematic Approach and a Standardized Test

Deficits in fine motor skills have been reported in some children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as amblyopia or strabismus. Therefore, monitoring the development of motor skills and any potential improvement due to therapy is an important clinical goal. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of performing a kinematic assessment within an optometric setting using inexpensive, portable, off-the-shelf equipment. The study also assessed whether kinematic data could enhance the information provided by a routine motor function screening test (the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, MABC). Using the MABC-2, upper limb dexterity was measured in a cohort of 47 typically developing children (7-15 years old), and the Leap motion capture system was used to record hand kinematics while children performed a bead-threading task. Two children with a history of amblyopia were also tested to explore the utility of a kinematic assessment in a clinical population. For the typically developing children, visual acuity and stereoacuity were within the normal range; however, the average standardized MABC-2 scores were lower than published norms. Comparing MABC-2 and kinematic measures in the two children with amblyopia revealed that both assessments provide convergent results and revealed deficits in fine motor control. In conclusion, kinematic assessment can augment standardized tests of fine motor skills in an optometric setting and may be useful for measuring visuomotor function and monitoring treatment outcomes in children with binocular vision anomalies.

Relationship between dynamic visual acuity and static visual acuity, refractive error, and binocular vision in elite soccer players

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

In many sports, dynamic visual acuity is used. In order to improve dynamic visual acuity, it is important to understand the aspects of the visual system that can cause compromise.

BACKGROUND

To investigate the parameters of the visual system that may influence dynamic visual acuity in professional soccer players.

METHODS

In 2022, 40 professional players were analysed. Screening consisted of a survey, the measurement refractive error, and static and dynamic visual acuity and the binocular vision parameters. All athletes were men with a mean age of 24.9 ± 4.8 years.

RESULTS

The mean refractive error was -0.29 ± 0.61D, and 22.5% of athletes are myopic only and 7.5% hyperopic. Static visual acuity was R: -0.037 ± 0.094 LogMAR , L: -0.036 ± 0.098 LogMAR. Dynamic visual acuity was 0.154 ± 0.118 LogMAR . There is a positive and moderate correlation between monocular static visual acuity and dynamic visual acuity, with r = 0.524 (r2 = 0.275 , p < 0.001) for the right eye and r = 0.553 (r2 = 0.306, p < 0.001) for the left eye. For the component of astigmatism (J = 0) and for stereopsis in distance vision, the correlation was, r = -0.472 (r2 = 0.223, p = 0.002) and r = -0.467 (r2 = 0.218, p = 0.002), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Athletes with lower static visual acuity in distance vision, or with worse stereopsis in distance vision or more myopic astigmatism, have lower dynamic visual acuity than other athletes.

Dynamic Visual Acuity After Small Incision Lenticule Extraction for Myopia Patients

In the present study we compared dynamic visual acuity (DVA) of 84 eyes (for 42 adults with myopia; M age = 28.4, SD = 6.6 years; males = 38.1%, females = 61.9%) at 40 and 80 degree per second (dps) before surgery with eyeglass corrections and after a surgical procedure - a small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE). Participants underwent binocular SMILE surgery with plano refraction targets. Their eyeglass-corrected binocular DVA at 40 and 80 dps was evaluated preoperatively, and their uncorrected binocular DVA was assessed post-operatively at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months. The mean logMAR (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuities (UDVA and CDVA) were -0.09 and -0.11 respectively, 3 months postoperatively. The mean preoperative eyeglass-corrected DVAs at 40 and 80 dps were 0.141 and 0.184, respectively, and significant improvements were observed for 40 dps and 80 dps DVAs 3 months postoperatively. Pearson's correlations were statistically significant between the postoperative DVAs at 3 months and for both the preoperative DVA and postoperative UDVA at both 40 dps and 80 dps. The change in the DVAs at 3 months were significantly associated with the preoperative DVAs at 40 dps and 80 dps. In conclusion, myopic patients' DVAs significantly improved following SMILE in comparison to corrected preoperative visual acuity when wearing eyeglasses. The post-SMILE DVA was associated with both the preoperative DVA and the postoperative UDVA.