Macular asymmetry analysis in sighting ocular dominance

Abstract

Sighting ocular dominance is the preference of one eye over the other in terms of sighting. In this study, our aim was to examine differences in interocular and intraocular macular thickness, interocular fovea-optic disc angle, and foveal blood vessel asymmetries associated with sighting ocular dominance. Ninety eyes of 45 healthy young adults were included in this prospective, cross-sectional, and comparative study. Sighting ocular dominance was determined by a hole-in-the-card test. Macular thickness measurements were taken and posterior pole asymmetry analysis conducted with spectral domain optical coherence tomography. The optic disc–fovea angle and visible foveal blood vessel counts were calculated by using the posterior pole retinal images of optical coherence tomography. The mean age of the participants was 27.3 (standard deviation [SD] 6.6) years. There were 20 males and 25 females. The mean total macular area thickness, and mean macular thickness of the superior and inferior hemispheres of the dominant and nondominant eyes were similar (p > 0.05). Macular asymmetry analysis revealed no statistically significant interocular difference (p > 0.05). In the dominant eyes, the mean optic disc–fovea angle was 5.24° (SD 1.77), whereas it was 5.49° (SD 2.58) in the nondominant eyes (p = 0.51). The number of visible blood vessels passing through the fovea was similar in the dominant and nondominant eyes (p > 0.05). These results suggested that interocular and intraocular macular thickness differences, interocular fovea–optic disc angle differences, and number of visible foveal blood vessels are not associated with sighting ocular dominance.