Richard London

Validity and Reliability of the Revised Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey in Children Aged 9 to 18 Years

Purpose. To assess the validity and reliability of the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) in children aged 9 to 18 years. The CISS is the primary outcome measure for a pilot study evaluating two different treatments for convergence insufficiency (CI). Methods. Children with CI were given the CISS twice to assess reliability. CISS scores for the first administration were also compared with scores from children with normal binocular vision to assess the validity of the CISS. Results. Forty-seven children with CI and 56 children with normal binocular vision participated in the study. Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation and 95% limits of agreement for the children with CI. For children with CI, the intraclass correlation was 0.77 (95% confidence interval, 0.613 to 0.873), and the 95% limits of agreement were −10.2 to +12.1. The mean (±SD) CISS score was 30.8 ± 8.4 for the children with CI and 8.4 ± 6.4 for the children with normal binocular vision. These means were significantly different (p < 0.0001). Good discrimination (sensitivity, 96%; specificity, 88%) was obtained using a score of ≥16. Conclusions. Children with CI showed a significantly higher CISS symptom score than children with normal binocular vision. The results of the study indicate that the CISS is a valid and reliable instrument to use as an outcome measure for children aged 9 to 18 who are enrolled in clinical research concerning CI.

Validity and reliability of the revised convergence insufficiency symptom survey in adults

Purpose:  To assess the validity and reliability of the revised Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) in adults aged 19–30 years. The CISS was developed to be the primary outcome measure for studies evaluating various treatments for convergence insufficiency (CI).

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Vision Therapy/ Orthoptics versus Pencil Pushups for the Treatment of Convergence Insufficiency in Young Adults

Purpose. The purpose of this article is to compare vision therapy/orthoptics, pencil pushups, and placebo vision therapy/orthoptics as treatments for symptomatic convergence insufficiency in adults 19 to 30 years of age. Methods. In a randomized, multicenter clinical trial, 46 adults 19 to 30 years of age with symptomatic convergence insufficiency were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of office-based vision therapy/orthoptics, office-based placebo vision therapy/orthoptics, or home-based pencil pushups. The primary outcome measure was the symptom score on the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey. Secondary outcome measures were the near point of convergence and positive fusional vergence at near. Results. Only patients in the vision therapy/orthoptics group demonstrated statistically and clinically significant changes in the near point of convergence (12.8 cm to 5.3 cm, p = 0.002) and positive fusional vergence at near (11.3&Dgr; to 29.7&Dgr;, p = 0.001). Patients in all three treatment arms demonstrated statistically significant improvement in symptoms with 42% in office-based vision therapy/orthoptics, 31% in office-based placebo vision therapy/orthoptics, and 20% in home-based pencil pushups achieving a score <21 (our predetermined criteria for elimination of symptoms) at the 12-week visit. Discussion. In this study, vision therapy/orthoptics was the only treatment that produced clinically significant improvements in the near point of convergence and positive fusional vergence. However, over half of the patients in this group (58%) were still symptomatic at the end of treatment, although their symptoms were significantly reduced. All three groups demonstrated statistically significant changes in symptoms with 42% in office-based vision therapy/orthoptics, 31% in office-based placebo vision therapy/orthoptics, and 20% in home-based pencil push-ups meeting our criteria for elimination of symptoms.

A Survey of Treatment Modalities for Convergence Insufficiency

Background. Convergence insufficiency (CI) is a common and distinct binocular vision disorder. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding the treatment most appropriate for CI. Possible treatment modalities include base-in prism, pencil pushup therapy (PPT), reading glasses, home-based vision therapy/orthoptics (HBVT), and office-based vision therapy/orthoptics (OBVT). The purpose of this study was to investigate the care process for CI by surveying eyecare professionals regarding the most common treatment modalities used by both optometrists and ophthalmologists across the United States. Methods. Surveys requesting doctors to indicate which treatment(s) they prescribed and believed to be most effective for symptomatic CI patients were mailed to 863 optometrists and 863 ophthalmologists in the United States. Results. Fifty-eight percent of the optometrists responded to the survey; the most common treatment prescribed was PPT (36%) followed by HBVT (22%) and OBVT (16%). For the ophthalmologists (who had a 23% response rate), the most common treatment prescribed was PPT (50%) followed by HBVT (21%) and base-in prism (10%). Conclusions. This survey suggests that most eyecare practitioners prescribe PPT as the initial treatment for CI.

An evaluation of the monocular estimate method of dynamic retinoscopy.

Abstract Monocular Estimate Method (MEM) dynamic retinoscopy is an objective clinical method for determining the accommodative response to a fixed accommodative stimulus. Although MEM has been used in many clinical investigations, it has never been compared with the measurement of accommodative response by the haploscope. This report compares the accommodative responses obtained by MEM and by a haploscopic instrument, the phoroaccommodometer. Linear regression analysis indicates that MEM consistently provides a close approximation to the phoroaccommodometer finding (r = 0.975, p ≤ 0.001). A conversion table has been generated so MEM findings may be adjusted to correspond with the phoroaccommodometer at higher stimulus values.

Changes in Refractive Error for Exotropes Treated with Overminus Lenses

The refractive changes of pediatric patients who were prescribed overminus lenses for exotropia were evaluated. Overminus lenses means additional minus power over the lenses required to correct the refractive error at distance. Forty exotropic patients, ages 1 to 15 years, were prescribed overminus lenses (-0.50 D to -3.75 D) for a period of 9 to 86 months. A small but significant correlation was found between the initial refractive error and the mean annual change toward myopia. Other factors such as age when treatment was given, duration of therapy, amount of overminus, and the amount of the exodeviation had little effect on the rate of myopic change. The mean annual changes in refractive error for hyperopes (-0.13 ± 0.44 D, N=15), emmetropes (-0.26 ± 0.37 D, N=17), and myopes (-0.75 ± 0.77 D, N=18) were similar to values reported in the literature for nonexotropic children.

Analysis of binocular visual function using tests made under binocular conditions

ABSTRACT Accommodation and vergence have a complex relation which occasionally breaks down, resulting in a loss of visual efficiency along with symptoms of discomfort associated with use of the eyes. Studies of accommodation/vergence interactions and tonic vergence disorders indicate that, using classical analysis techniques, separate methods are frequently necessary to determine whether existing binocular deficiencies are causing reported symptoms. The problem with current systems of binocular visual function analysis is that the vergence error which exists under binocular conditions is often not the same as that which is measured under monocular conditions. A rationale for, and technique of, analyzing binocular function using results of tests made under binocular conditions is described. This analysis incorporates the concepts of CA/C, proximal vergence (PV), and fixation disparity along with several accommodative measures (facility, lag, sustaining ability, and accuracy). By identifying relevant binocular components and the interrelations, the clinician should be better able to assess the contribution of each and examine which may be modified most easily by vision therapy, lenses, and/or prism intervention.

Changes in Angle Lambda during Growth: Theory and Clinical Applications

ABSTRACT The eye undergoes rapid growth during the first years of life. Using a mathematical model, we analyzed angle lambda from birth through adult life to determine what change in its magnitude occurs with growth of the eye. The effect of changes in angle lambda on measurement and correction of astigmatic errors and on the analysis of fixation patterns are discussed.

Feasibility of using placebo vision therapy in a multicenter clinical trial.

Purpose. The Convergence Insufficiency Treatment Trial (CITT) Investigator Group conducted a preliminary study assessing the effectiveness of home-based push-up therapy and office-based vision therapy/orthoptics for the treatment of convergence insufficiency (CI). The CITT group developed a placebo therapy program that was designed to simulate real vision therapy/orthoptics. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of this placebo therapy program in maintaining masking of subjects randomized to the office-based treatment arms (real or placebo). Methods. Subjects (ages 9 to 30 years) were enrolled, stratified into two groups by age, and then randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: pencil push-up therapy, office-based vision therapy/orthoptics, or office-based placebo vision therapy/orthoptics. At the end of treatment, subjects in the two office-based therapy groups (placebo and real) were asked: (1) which treatment do you think you received? and (2) how sure are you about your answer? Results. Ninety-five percent of subjects assigned to real therapy and 83% assigned to placebo therapy thought they were in the real therapy group. Of the subjects who thought they received real therapy, 90% assigned to real therapy and 89% assigned to placebo therapy were “somewhat sure,” “pretty sure,” or “very sure” of their answer. Those assigned to real therapy had more responses in the “very sure” category. Conclusion. The CITT placebo therapy program was effective in maintaining subject masking in this multicenter clinical trial.

Vertical fixation disparity correction: effect on the horizontal forced-vergence fixation disparity curve.

Following a suggestion made by Percival in regard to dissociated phorias, we corrected vertical associated phoria in several patients who had disparities in both vertical and horizontal fixation. The principal objective result of this correction was a flattening of the slope of the type I horizontal forced-vergence curve. This result may be significant particularly because the slope has been identified as being a good prognosticator of patients likely to be symptomatic. Attention to a concurrent vertical component may offer a convenient way to normalize a steep slope on horizontal fixation disparity curves.