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Study: Reconsider clinical usefulness of fixation preference testing
Ophthalmology. 2008;115(10):1796-1799.
Investigators found fixation preference testing did not accurately identify children with two lines or more of interocular difference.
Researchers with the Baltimore Pediatric Eye Disease Study tested both eyes of preschool children with fixation preference testing and Amblyopia Treatment Study visual acuity testing at the same visit.
In this cross-sectional population-based research study of 1,435 children aged 30 months through 71 months, the researchers found 53 children had an interocular difference of two or more lines of visual acuity. Seven of these children were graded by fixation preference testing as having momentary or no fixation; 45 of these children were rated by fixation preference testing to be normal.
In light of the study results, the researchers suggested reconsidering the clinical utility of fixation preference testing as a diagnostic or monitoring tool.