An Evaluation of the Massachusetts Vision Test for Visual Screening of School Children

Yasuna, Elton; Green, Leah Sanders

doi:10.1016/0002-9394(52)90852-0

Cited by 20 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 3 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…25 The plus lens test is predicated on the assumption that children with hyperopia will relax their accommodation and see clearly through the plus lens, whereas children without hyperopia will experience blurred vision and consequently have reduced VA. 26 The plus lens test was first described in the Massachusetts Vision test (1952), and despite a lack of clear protocols and guidelines on the administration of the test, is frequently included in screening protocols. 26,27 In the USA, the following plus lens powers are used in state-based screenings: +2.00, +2.25 and +2.50 D. 28 However, the lack of uniformity regarding the magnitude of the plus power creates challenges in identifying appropriate VA cut-offs.…”

Section: Key Pointsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hyperopia in schoolchildren: Investigating the impact on vision and determining appropriate methods for screening

Hopkins,

Read,

Cox

et al. 2023

Ophthalmic Physiologic Optic

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionHyperopia is associated with reduced vision and educational outcomes in schoolchildren. This study explored the impact of clinically significant hyperopia (≥+2.00 D) on visual function in schoolchildren and compared the ability of different screening tests (alone and in combination) to detect this level of hyperopia.MethodsVision testing including monocular logMAR visual acuity (VA) measured to threshold (distance [DVA], near [NVA] and DVA through a plus lens [+2.50 D]), stereoacuity and cycloplegic autorefraction (tropicamide 1%) were undertaken on 263 schoolchildren (mean age: 11.76 years ± 3.38) in Queensland, Australia. Vision measures were compared between children with clinically significant hyperopia in at least one meridian (≥+2.00 D) and emmetropia/low hyperopia (>0.00 and <+2.00 D). Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis was performed to identify optimal pass/fail criteria for each test and the diagnostic accuracy of individual and combinations of tests.ResultsThirty‐two children had clinically significant hyperopia and 225 had emmetropia/low hyperopia. DVA and NVA were worse (p < 0.01), while the difference in DVA through a plus lens was less in children with clinically significant hyperopia (p < 0.01). ROC analysis for individual tests resulted in areas under the curve (AUCs) ranging from 0.65 to 0.85. Combining screening tests revealed that failing one or more of the following tests was most effective for detecting hyperopia: DVA, NVA and difference in DVA through a plus lens, resulting in a sensitivity and specificity of 72% and 81%, respectively.ConclusionSignificant differences in visual function existed between schoolchildren with clinically significant hyperopia and emmetropia/low hyperopia. Combining measures of DVA and NVA and the difference in DVA through a plus lens demonstrated good discriminative ability for detecting clinically significant hyperopia in this population.

show abstract

Section: Key Pointsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hyperopia in schoolchildren: Investigating the impact on vision and determining appropriate methods for screening

Hopkins,

Read,

Cox

et al. 2023

Ophthalmic Physiologic Optic

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the MVT screening protocol, if children could see 6/9 or 6/6 through a +1.50 lens presented monocularly, they were classified as a partial or complete fail, respectively. An evaluation of the MVT revealed that only 32% of 6–8 year old children who failed the plus lens test were later prescribed spectacles at a follow‐up examination by an ophthalmologist; this, however, increased to 50% in 9–11 year old children and 68% in 12–18 year old children . Recommendations from the study were that increasing the plus lens power in the younger age group would be an effective method of reducing the number of false positives, i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If a child's distance visual acuity is not reduced by two lines or more when viewing through a +2.50 lens, hyperopia is suspected. The lack of consistency in the administration of the plus lens test (in terms of plus lens power and visual acuity cutoffs), despite its widespread use, likely results from the lack of evaluation of the efficacy of the test in its original form, as described in the Massachusetts Vision Test, 18,25 and a notable absence of research since these original papers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validity of the +1.50 plus lens screening test as a predictor of uncorrected moderate hyperopia

Hopkins

Black

White

et al. 2019

Ophthalmic Physiologic Optic

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose Screening for uncorrected hyperopia in school children is important given its association with poorer visual function and academic performance. However, standard distance visual acuity screening may not detect low to moderate hyperopia. The plus lens test is used to screen for hyperopia in many school screening protocols, but has not been well validated. The current study investigated the effectiveness of the plus lens test to identify hyperopia in school children. Methods Participants included Grade 2 school children. Monocular distance visual acuity (logMAR letter chart) was measured unaided, and then through a +1.50D lens, known as the plus lens test. Cycloplegic refraction was undertaken to classify moderate hyperopia (≥+2.00D). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) were calculated for commonly used cut‐offs for the plus lens test: 6/6, 6/9 and less than two lines difference between unaided acuity and acuity through the plus lens test. Results The sample included 59 children (mean age 7.2 ± 0.4 years). Fourteen (24%) children were classified as having uncorrected hyperopia. The sensitivity and specificity of the +1.50 plus lens test for identifying hyperopia were 0% and 98% respectively for a 6/6 cut‐off, 29% and 91% for 6/9 cut‐off, and 50% and 76% for a <2 line reduction between unaided acuity and acuity through the plus lens test. Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) analysis revealed area under curves of 0.69 based on acuity through the plus lens test, and 0.65 for a reduction in acuity through the plus lens test. Conclusions The plus lens test has low sensitivity for detecting uncorrected hyperopia using traditional cut‐offs of 6/9 or better. This raises questions about the role of the plus lens test in school screening batteries.

show abstract

Optics and Visual Physiology

Ogle¹

1952

Archives of Ophthalmology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An Evaluation of the Massachusetts Vision Test for Visual Screening of School Children

Cited by 20 publications

References 3 publications

Hyperopia in schoolchildren: Investigating the impact on vision and determining appropriate methods for screening

Hyperopia in schoolchildren: Investigating the impact on vision and determining appropriate methods for screening

Validity of the +1.50 plus lens screening test as a predictor of uncorrected moderate hyperopia

Optics and Visual Physiology

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About