Relationship between accommodative and vergence dysfunctions and academic achievement for primary school children

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and types of non-strabismic accommodative and/or vergence dysfunctions in primary school children, and to determine the relationship of these dysfunctions to academic achievement. A total of 1031 parents and their children aged 9-13 years responded to the College of Optometrists in Vision Development Quality of Life (COVD-QOL) questionnaire. Of these, 258 children whose visual symptom scores were> or =20 were identified for further evaluation. Comprehensive eye and vision examinations were provided to the children who met the eligibility criteria (114 of 258): eligible symptomatic children were those without amblyopia, strabismus, ocular and systemic pathology, and contact lens wear. Children were also excluded if they had visual acuity poorer than 20/25 in either eye or vertical phoria >1 prism diopter. The results showed that 82 of 114 (71.9%) of criteria-eligible symptomatic primary school children had non-strabismic accommodative and/or vergence dysfunctions. In addition, a significant relationship was found between these dysfunctions and academic scores in every academic area (reading, mathematics, social science and science) in the total sample. Therefore, accommodative and vergence functions should be tested for all school children who have visual symptoms and/or academic difficulties. Additional study is needed to determine if improvements of accommodative and vergence functions also improve academic achievement.

Binocular Vision and the Stroop Test

“…Using the classification of Scheiman and Wick, 42 we first classified vergence and accommodation dysfunctions by taking into account the number of signs used in the studies of Porcar and Martinez-Palomera 18 and Shin et al 3 In addition, we decided to use the CISS as supplementary criteria to classify the symptomatic students. We took a cutoff point of higher than or equal to 16 to distinguish students with symptoms relative to near vision from those without such symptoms.…”

“…Vergence and accommodative dysfunctions were classified by taking into account the number of signs used in the studies of Porcar and Martinez-Palomera 18 and Shin et al 3 This classification of the sample and the most important optometric measures mean values and standard deviations are shown in Table 1 (standard deviations are in parentheses): group 1 (N = 21), subjects presenting no vergence or accommodative dysfunctions; group 2 (N = 8), subjects presenting CI without accommodative dysfunctions; group 3 (N = 2), subjects presenting CI and accommodative insufficiency; group 4 (N = 3), subjects presenting convergence excess without accommodative dysfunction; group 5 (N = 2), subjects presenting basic esophoria without accommodative dysfunction; group 6 (N = 11), subjects presenting accommodative excess (AE) without vergence dysfunction; and group 7 (N = 2), subjects presenting accommodative infacility without vergence dysfunction. One subject presented both basic esophoria and accommodative insufficiency, and one other subject presented both CI and AE.…”

Parent, Teacher, and Student Perspectives on How Corrective Lenses Improve Child Wellbeing and School Function

“…(Fulk & Goss, 2001; Goldstand, Koslowe, & Parush, 2005; Johnson, Nottingham, Strutton, & Zaba, 1996; Krumholtz, 2000; Kulp & Schmidt, 1996; Maples, 2003; Mathers, Keyes, & Wright, 2010; Shin, Park, & Park, 2009; Vaughn, Maples, & Hoenes, 2006) Given that academic achievement is one of the most powerful predictors of lifelong health,(Egerter, 2009; Freudenberg & Ruglis, 2007; Topitzes, Godes, Mersky, Ceglarek, & Reynolds, 2009) addressing factors that contribute to poor school function may be critical to resolving health disparities. However, while one might predict that access to corrective lenses improves school function and overall child health, there is surprisingly little scientific evidence supporting this assumption.…”

Diagnostic Validity of Clinical Signs Associated with a Large Exophoria at Near

“…According to epidemiology, numerous studies have suggested that this nonstrabismic binocular vision disorder is commonly found in clinical practice [19–30]. However, several authors have recently shown that the prevalence of CI is not really known because no population-based studies are available [31, 32].…”