Quantitative measurement of ocular dominance using binocular rivalry induced by retinometers.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a new method using binocular rivalry and retinometers to quantitatively examine ocular dominance and to investigate the magnitude of ocular dominance in cataract patients preoperatively and postoperatively.


METHODS
Eye Clinic, Kitasato University School of Medicine Hospital, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan.


METHODS
The duration of exclusive visibility of the dominant and nondominant eye target in binocular rivalry were measured in 60 healthy volunteers (study 1) and preoperatively and postoperatively in 10 cataract patients (study 2). Rivalry targets were presented directly to the retina of each eye using 2 retinometers. Subjects reported the exclusive visibility of 1 eye target, and the total duration of exclusive visibility for each eye in dominant and nondominant eye trials was evaluated.


RESULTS
In study 1, the magnitude of ocular dominance was quantitatively assessed with 4 grades based on differences in total duration of exclusive visibility between dominant and nondominant eyes. In study 2, magnitude of ocular dominance could be evaluated in all cataract patients regardless of refractive and cataract conditions. Magnitude of ocular dominance displayed significant correlations between preoperative and postoperative conditions (simple regression, P<.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Ocular dominance can be quantitatively evaluated using this new method based on binocular rivalry and retinometers, particularly in cataract patients. Magnitude of ocular dominance may indicate preoperatively whether a patient with cataracts will have sufficient ocular dominance to adjust to monovision correction.
Handa
Tomoya
T
Department of Rehabilitation, Orthoptics and Visual Science Course, School of Allied Health Sciences, Kitasato University, Kitasato, Japan. thanda@kitasato-u.ac.jp
Uozato
Hiroshi
H
Higa
Risako
R
Nitta
Marie
M
Kawamorita
Takushi
T
Ishikawa
Hitoshi
H
Shoji
Nobuyuki
N
Shimizu
Kimiya
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D023882:Dominance, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015357:Vision Disparity / Q000502:physiology*; D015348:Vision, Binocular