Effects of age and Refractive Errors on Stereopsis

Abstract

Pur po se: To investigate the effects of age and refractive errors on stereopsis. Ma te ri al and Met hod: The present study included 1488 cases which were randomly selected, had full vision and no eye pathology except refractive errors. The patients were divided into six groups according to their age: 10–19 (Group 1, n=258), 20–29 (Group 2, n=264), 30–39 (Group 3, n=246), 40–49 (Group 4, n=246), 50–59 (Group 5, n=246), and 60 years and over (Group 6, n=228). Additionally, each group was divided according to refractive errors: myopia (a), myopic astigmatism (b), hyperopia (c), hyperopic astigmatism (d), emetropia (e). Titmus test was applied to all cases from 16 inches (405 mm) distance with polarized glasses after correcting the refractive errors. Stereoacuity was evaluated using the Titmus circle test. Re sults: Mean stereoacuity was 41.1±3.2 arc\s in group 1, 45.3±24.6 arc\s in group 2, 42.6±5.0 arc\s in group 3, 44.1±10.7 arc\s in group 4, 45.8±24.8 arc\s in group 5, and 41.3±3.4 arc\s in group 6. Mean stereoacuity was found to be 45.4±24.2 arc\s in myopia, 41.3±4.2 arc\s in myopic astigmatism, 45.3±21.4 arc\s in hyperopia, 41.4±3.6 arc\s in hyperopic astigmatism, and 41.9±4.4 arc\s in emetropia in the refractive error groups. No statistically significant differences were detected in evaluation between age groups, refraction groups according to age and refraction groups. Dis cus si on: No significant effects of age and refractive errors on stereoacuity were found in our study. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2011; 41: 372-5)

Keywords

• Stereopsis
• refraction