Ocular dominance testing

Abstract

Clinicians typically apply the distance correction to the dominant sighting eye when fitting monovision contact lenses on presbyopic patients. This study investigates if this form of dominance testing correlates with a second type of dominance testing, the eye that will accept the least plus power when viewing a distance target binocularly. The plus lens test more closely simulates the condition under which the patient will be using the monovision correction. The theory is that the nondominant eye will accept more plus to blur than the dominant eye. Our study population consisted of subjects from the ages of 10 to 72 years. Fifty (64%) of the 78 subjects preferred the same eye by the plus lens testing as they did for sighting dominance. Seven subjects (9%) showed the opposite eye dominance with the plus lens test, and 21 subjects (27%) demonstrated no preference in the plus lens testing. The results could indicate that same-eye dominance on both tests may enhance the changes of a successful monovision adaptation.