Manuscript
Manuscript
Manuscript
Abstract:
Purpose: To investigate the relationship between stereopsis and exodeviation angle, fusion vergence, and ocular dominance (OD)
distribution in patients with intermittent exotropia (IXT).
Methods: This study included patients aged 4 to 13 years with IXT treated at our hospital from October 2022 to December 2023.
Stereoscopic function was assessed using the Titmus stereogram, the angle of deviation was measured by the prism alternating cover
test, fusion vergence was evaluated using a synopter, and sensory ocular dominance was determined via the card-hole method.
Participants were divided into four groups based on stereopsis: Group I (40 ~ 60 arcseconds), Group II (80 ~ 140 arcseconds), Group
III (200 arcseconds to no stereopsis detected), and Group IV (no binocular fusion function). Differences in exodeviation angle, fusion
function, and ocular dominance among the groups were compared.
Results: A total of 186 subjects were included. Findings indicated that IXT patients lacking fusion (Group IV) exhibited significantly
larger distance and near exodeviation angles compared to those with stereopsis in Groups I, II, and III (p < 0.05). Convergence and
divergence amplitudes were substantially lower in subjects with poor or absent stereopsis (Group III) compared to those with good
(Group I) or moderate (Group II) stereopsis (p < 0.05). Among patients with IXT, the proportions of right, left, and uncertain OD were
46.77%, 35.48%, and 17.74%, respectively. As stereopsis decreases, the proportion of right eye dominance decreases, while unclear
dominance proportionately increases.
Conclusion: Patients with IXT who lack fusion function exhibit a significantly greater angle of exodeviation. Additionally, fusion
vergence function is positively associated with stereopsis in individuals with IXT. The distribution of OD among these patients varies
from that in normal individuals and is related to stereoscopic function.
Keywords: Intermittent exotropia; Stereopsis; Ocular dominance
Introduction
Ocular dominance (OD) plays a key role in visual perception. Compared to the non-dominant eye, the dominant eye generally
provides clearer and more stable imaging[1]. OD is primarily influenced by genetic factors or established in early childhood and is
generally difficult to modify[2]. Based on various examination methods, OD can be categorized into sighting, motor, and sensory
dominance. Sighting OD is widely used in clinical practice due to its reliable results[3, 4]. A thorough literature review reveals a
consistent pattern in OD distribution among normal individuals, with proportions of approximately 6:3:1 for right OD, left OD, and
indeterminate OD, respectively. For instance, Porac and Coren observed proportions of 65%, 32%, and 3% in their study population[3]
, while Chia’s research on typically developing children in Singapore found that 58% showed right OD, 30% left OD, and 12%
indeterminate OD [5]. What factors influence the distribution of OD within the population?
The dominant eye is the eye people instinctively prefer when focusing on an object. It plays a role in spatial orientation and visual
target search, requiring coordinated binocular activity to achieve differential processing of visual pathways[6, 7]. Thus, factors
influencing OD should be examined from a binocular vision perspective. Previous studies have mainly concentrated on monocular
indicators such as refraction [8-11] 、 nerve fiber layer thickness [12] 、 and macular area structure[13]. This focus on monocular
indicators may account for the lack of statistically significant factors identified in these studies. Research by Romano et al. on
stereopsis development in typically developing children revealed that at age 3, the average stereopsis value was 200"; at age 4, it was
90", and by age 5, it was 40". This pattern in OD distribution aligns with the 6:3:1 ratio observed in individuals with normal
stereopsis[14]. An exception was noted in Coren’s study involving 68 infants with an average age of 44.5 weeks, who had immature
stereopsis development. This discrepancy may explain the deviation in OD distribution from that seen in the general population [15].
Currently, there is limited research on whether abnormalities in binocular vision function affect OD distribution.
Intermittent exotropia (IXT) is a condition positioned between exophoria and constant exotropia, exhibiting varied levels of fusion
capability and unique stereopsis characteristics [16, 17]. Therefore, analyzing OD distribution among patients with IXT can help
address the question of whether abnormalities in binocular vision function influence OD distribution.
In surgical treatment for IXT, when it is challenging to identify the more frequently deviated eye before unilateral surgery [18],the
sighting OD examination method is commonly used to determine the dominant eye. Surgery is then performed on the non-dominant
eye [19]. Clinically, there is growing uncertainty in accurately identifying sighting OD in patients with IXT, which complicates the
decision of which eye to select for unilateral surgery. Our research aims to address two primary questions: What is the proportion of
individuals with IXT experiencing uncertainty regarding their sighting OD, and how should we proceed in selecting the surgical eye
for this specific subgroup? Additionally, does the distribution of sighting OD in the IXT population align with that of individuals
without the condition, and is there a correlation with stereopsis function?
Acknowledgements
Not applicable.
Authors’ contributions
Desheng Song contributed to study design and coordination, conducted the data analysis, and assisted in drafting the manuscript.
Huiming Qian contributed to edit this paper. Lu Zhou were involved in data acquisition, data interpretation, and critical revision of the
manuscript. Desheng Song helped to interpret the data and to draft the manuscript. All authors have given final approval of the version
to be published.
Funding
This study was funded by the project of Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (LCYJY202319)
Data Availability
The datasets generated and analysed during the study are not publicly avail able but are available from the corresponding author on
reasonable request.
Declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
We adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethics approval was obtained from the the ethics committee of Children’s
Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. All participants involved were informed of the purpose and methods of this study and a
written consent was obtained from their parent or guardian.
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Author details
Department of Ophthalmology, Children’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210008, China.
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Figure 1. Scatter plot illustrating the relationship between age and stereopsis. Subjects were categorized into four distinct levels
based on the quality of their stereoscopic function: Group I (Level I) includes individuals with stereopsis better than or equal to 60 arc
seconds, indicating good stereoscopic vision; Group II (Level II) encompasses those with stereoscopic function ranging from 80 arc
seconds to 140 arc seconds, representing moderate stereopsis; Group III (Class III) consists of subjects with stereopsis equal to or
greater than 200 arc seconds, as well as those exhibiting no measurable stereopsis, indicating unreliable stereopsis; and Group IV
(Class IV) signifies the absence of binocular fusion. In the plot, red and blue circles denote the mean and median age for each
category, respectively.
Figure 2. Scatter plot illustrating the relationship between exodeviation angle and stereopsis. (A) exodeviation angle at distance.
(B) exodeviation angle at near. Level IV subjects exhibited significantly greater exodeviations compared to the other three groups. The
red and blue circles indicate the mean and median values for each category, respectively.
Figure 3. Scatter plot illustrating the relationship between vergence amplitude and stereopsis. (A) divergence amplitude. (B)
convergence amplitude. The vergence amplitudes of subjects in Group III (Level III) were significantly smaller than those of subjects
in Group I (Level I) and Group II (Level II). The red and blue circles indicate the mean and median values, respectively, for each
group.
Figure 4. Line drawing illustrating the changes in distribution for subjects exhibiting varying levels of binocular vision. The
graph indicates the percentage of right eye dominance (red), left eye dominance (blue), and indeterminate dominance (black). The circles represent
the mean values, while the vertical lines denote the standard deviation, calculated from 10,000 bootstrapping.