Vertical vergence adaptation does improve with practice

Effect of Induced Vertical Disparity on Horizontal Fusional Reserves

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of induced vertical disparity on horizontal fusional reserves at near.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In 170 healthy subjects wearing best corrective refraction, the negative and positive horizontal fusional reserves were measured with base-in (BI) and base-out (BO) prisms, respectively, in the presence of 0.5 prism diopters (^∆) and 1^∆ vertical prisms placed in trial frames in front of the right eye. The prism power was slowly increased step by step until the subject reported sustained blur, break, and recovery. These were compared to horizontal fusional reserves in the same subjects without a vertical prism. Data were analyzed in SPSS.17 software using a repeated measures ANOVA.

RESULTS

Induced vertical disparity decreased negative fusional reserves (NFR) horizontally and was more significant with 1^∆ vertical disparity (P<0.001). There were significant differences between the blur (P<0.001), break (P<0.001), and recovery (P<0.001) for NFR before and after induced vertical disparity and no significant difference between blur (P=0.173) and recovery points (P=0.261) with a marginal difference for break points (P=0.045) for the positive fusional reserves (PFR).

CONCLUSION

Inducing vertical disparity even with small magnitudes affects all 3 aspects (blur, break, and recovery) of horizontal negative fusional reserves while only break is affected in positive fusional reserves. These changes are statistically significant but do not seem to be clinically significant except for cases accompanied by symptoms.

Horizontal and vertical prism adaptation are different mechanisms

As part of a study on subjects with convergence insufficiency (CI), their vertical and horizontal vergence adaptation was assessed and compared with age matched controls in order to investigate whether the horizontal adaptation system can be regarded as being independent of the vertical adaptation system. Using a flashed Maddox rod technique horizontal vergence adaptation was found to be reduced in CI subjects whereas no difference could be found in vertical adaptation. These results confirm that the vertical and horizontal adaptation systems can be treated as independent mechanisms.