Abstract
ObjectiveTo assess stereoacuity in a population-based sample of children and to examine ocular and systemic parameters related to stereoacuity.MethodsUsing a random cluster sampling method, four- to 18-year-old children from kindergartens, elementary schools, junior high schools and senior high schools from a rural area and an urban area in the East Chinese province of Shandong were included in the school-based cross-sectional study. All participants underwent a comprehensive eye examination including assessment of cycloplegic refraction and measurement of stereoacuity using the Titmus Stereo test.ResultsOut of 6364 eligible children, 5780 (90.8%) children with a mean age of 10.1 ± 3.2 years (range: 4 to 18 years) participated. Mean (± standard deviation) stereoacuity was 50.2 ± 50.6 arc seconds. Stereoacuity improved significantly (P<0.01) from the age group of 4 years to the age group of 6 to 7 years, then showed a plateau, deteriorated (P = 0.001) for both sexes from the age group of 9 years to the age group of 12 years (P<0.001), after which it improved (P = 0.001) again in the age group of 16 years or older to the pre-puberty values. In multivariate analysis, larger angle of binocular disparity (i.e., lower stereoacuity) was significantly associated with lower best corrected visual acuity (logMAR; P<0.001), higher intereye difference in refractive error (spherical equivalent) (P<0.001), higher cylindrical refractive error (P<0.001), higher refractive error (spherical value; P<0.001), higher intereye difference in best corrected visual acuity (logMAR) (P = 0.001), higher intereye difference in axial length (P = 0.001), and rural region of habitation (P = 0.006).ConclusionsStereoacuity as tested with the Titmus Stereo test improved significantly from an age of 4 years to an age of 6 and 7 years, then remained constant, temporarily deteriorated for both sexes in pre-puberty and puberty, after which it improved again to pre-puberty or better values at the age of 16 years or older. Lower stereoacuity was associated with lower best corrected visual acuity and higher intereye difference in best corrected visual acuity, higher cylindrical and spherical refractive errors, higher inter-eye difference in refractive error, higher intereye difference in axial length, and rural region of habitation.
Highlights
Stereopsis is an important quality of normal human vision
Stereopsis is not equivalent to depth perception, but is the type of depth perception that relies on binocularity
It is obtained on the basis of visual information deriving from binocular vision
Summary
Stereopsis is an important quality of normal human vision. It has been defined as the perception of depth and depends on the binocular analysis of the three-dimensional structure of objects. Stereopsis is not equivalent to depth perception, but is the type of depth perception that relies on binocularity. It is obtained on the basis of visual information deriving from binocular vision. Threshold stereoacuity refers to the smallest angle of binocular disparity that can provoke perception of depth or stereopsis. Disruption of normal binocular fusion due to reasons such as amblyopia, anisometropia or aniseikonia decreases stereoacuity and secondarily may have an impact on the development of fine visual-motor actions and spatial resolution [4]. Stereoacuity has commonly been assessed clinically by tests such as the Titmus stereo test [5,6]
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