Temporal fluctuations in defocus may reverse the acuity loss encountered with induced refractive errors.

A recent template-matching model hypothesized that simulated visual acuity loss with uncorrected refractive errors may be recovered by adding temporal defocus fluctuations up to the magnitude of the refractive error. Acuity recovery saturates or gets attenuated beyond this magnitude. These predictions were confirmed for monocular high-contrast visual acuity of 10 young, cyclopleged adults with 0.5-2.0D of induced myopia combined with the same range of temporal defocus fluctuations at 4.0 Hz frequency. The outcomes reinforce that spatial resolution may be optimized by averaging time-varying defocus over the entire stimulus presentation epoch or around the point of least defocus within this epoch.

Effect of Light Intensity on the Relative Afferent Pupillary Defect in Unilateral Neuro-ophthalmic Pathology.

SIGNIFICANCE: Objective pupillometry with standardized light intensities allows a comprehensive assessment of the relative afferent pupillary defect in patients with unilateral neuro-ophthalmic pathology. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the impact of varying light intensities on the grade of relative afferent pupillary defect in unilateral neuro-ophthalmic pathology vis-à-vis healthy controls. METHODS: Monocular pupillary light reflexes of 20 controls (14 to 50 years) and 31 cases (12 to 72 years) with clinically diagnosed relative afferent pupillary defect were measured thrice using 1-second-long light pulses, followed by 3 seconds of darkness, at eight light intensities (6.4 to 1200 lux) using objective pupillometry. The relative afferent pupillary defect was quantified as the ratio of the percentage change in the direct light reflexes of the left and right eyes. Its change with light intensity was described using standard exponential fits. RESULTS: The median (25th to 75th interquartile range) defect score of 54.8% cases decreased from baseline values of 1.58 (1.25 to 1.87) for right eye pathology and 0.45 (0.39 to 0.55) for left eye pathology to saturation values of 1.18 (1.05 to 1.31) and 0.98 (0.95 to 1.06), respectively, at light intensities between 56.9 and 300.5 lux. Like controls (1.01 [1.00 to 1.06]), the defect scores of the remaining 45.2% cases were constant with light intensity at 1.23 (1.18 to 1.46) and 0.87 (0.86 to 0.89) for right and left eye pathologies, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Relative afferent pupillary defects may decrease with test light intensity in a significant proportion of patients with unilateral neuro-ophthalmic pathology. This highlights the importance of objective pupillometry with standardization light intensities for clinical assessment of afferent pupillary defects.

Interocular Contrast Balancing Partially Improves Stereoacuity in Keratoconus.

SIGNIFICANCE: Partial improvement in stereoacuity may be achieved by balancing the contrast input to the two eyes of patients with bilaterally asymmetric keratoconus. PURPOSE: Interocular differences in image quality, characterized by dissimilar contrast loss and phase shifts, are implicated in stereoacuity loss in keratoconus. This study determined whether contrast balancing improves stereoacuity in this disease condition and, if so, whether it is dependent on the baseline interocular contrast imbalance. METHODS: Interocular contrast imbalance and stereoacuity of 43 subjects (16 to 33 years) with bilaterally asymmetric keratoconus were tested with spectacle correction as baseline using a binocular rivalry paradigm and random-dot stereograms, respectively. Stereoacuity measurements were repeated in a subset of 33 subjects at their contrast balance point (i.e., contrast level in stronger eye allowing balanced rivalry with 100% contrast in weaker eye) and with contrast levels biased in favor of stronger or weaker eye, all conditions in randomized order. RESULTS: Contrast imbalance level was significantly correlated with the subject's stereoacuity at baseline ( r = -0.47, P = .002). The median (25th to 75th interquartile range) stereoacuity improved by 34.6% (19.0 to 65.1%) from baseline (748.8 arc sec [261.3 to 1257.3 arc sec]) to the contrast balanced condition (419.0 arc sec [86.6 to 868.9 arc sec]) ( P < .001), independent of their baseline stereoacuity or contrast imbalance levels ( r < 0.2, P > .26 for both). Contrast bias in favor of the weaker eye (881.3 arc sec [239.6 to 1707.6 arc sec]) worsened stereoacuity more than a bias toward the stronger eye (502.6 arc sec [181.9 to 1161.4 arc sec]), both relative to the contrast balanced condition ( P < .002). CONCLUSIONS: Interocular contrast balancing partially improves stereoacuity in bilaterally asymmetric keratoconus, independent of their baseline contrast imbalance level. Cyclopean viewing may be inherently biased toward the input from the stronger eye in keratoconus.

Impact of temporal fluctuations in optical defocus on visual acuity: Empirical results and modeling outcomes.

Optical defocus in human eyes is seldom steady during naturalistic steady-state viewing. It fluctuates by 0.3 to 0.5 diopters (D) from accommodative microfluctuations and by 1.5 to 2.5 D in dysfunctions such as spasm of near reflex, both with ≤2 Hz low-pass frequency spectra. This study observed losses in monocular visual acuity of cyclopleged adults who encountered varying amplitude (0.25-2.0 D) and temporal frequency (0.25-2.0 Hz) combinations of sinusoidal defoci induced using an electrically tunable lens. Visual acuity, recorded for 300-ms flashes of Sloan optotype presentation using the method of constant stimuli, deteriorated with defocus amplitude at a rate steeper for lower than higher temporal frequencies. A template matching model of acuity, incorporating optical and neural low-pass filters, neural noise, and a cross-correlated decision operator, showed the best match with empirical data when acuity was governed by the minimum defocus available during optotype display. This criterion minimized acuity loss for higher temporal frequencies due to the increased probability of zero-defocus encounters within the presentation duration. Other decision criteria such as defocus averaging across the entire or parts of the presentation duration yielded less satisfactory results. These results imply that vision loss in humans encountering broadband time-varying defocus is dictated by the dominant low frequencies, with higher frequencies largely compensated using the least defocus decision strategy.

The Value of Eccentric Infrared Photorefraction in Evaluating Keratoconus.

SIGNIFICANCE: Nonlinearity in the luminance profile of eccentric, infrared photorefraction may be used to differentiate corneal diseases such as keratoconus that distort the cornea, relative to regular refractive errors. PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the profile of eccentric, infrared photorefraction in keratoconus as a prototypical disease model for distorted corneas and identify a parameter in this profile for differentiating such disease conditions from healthy controls. METHODS: Photorefraction reflex of 75 eyes with forme fruste to advanced keratoconic cases and that of 75 eyes of controls with regular refractive errors (spherical equivalent, +0.50 to -11.75 D; astigmatism, -0.50 to -4.50 D across 0 to 180° axes) were obtained over their natural pupils under unaided viewing using a custom-designed photorefractor placed at 1 m from the subject. The test was repeated in 10 controls with 4 and 6 D of trial-lens-induced myopia and myopic astigmatism at 0, 90, 45, and 135°. Linear regression was performed on the luminance profile across the pupil, and the departure of the data from linearity was estimated using the average residual error of the fit (Res avg ). RESULTS: Photorefraction profiles varied linearly across the pupil in controls, with slopes increasing with refractive error ( r = 0.87; P < .001) and Res avg remaining invariant of refractive error ( r = -0.29; P > .4). Corresponding profiles in keratoconus significantly departed from linearity, with Res avg progressively increasing with disease severity ( r = 0.66; P < .001). Res avg of 0.03 gray-scale units/pixel distinguished keratoconus from controls with sensitivity increasing from 66.7 to 100% for mild to advanced keratoconus and specificity remaining ≥97.1% across disease severity. Induced myopia and myopic astigmatism produced predictable changes in luminance profile slopes but with no change in Res avg values. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike regular myopia and astigmatism, the photorefraction reflex is significantly nonlinear in keratoconus because of the distorted cornea. Measures of nonlinearity in luminance profile may be incorporated in commercial photorefractors for differentiating such disease conditions from regular refractive errors.

Differences in Image Quality after Three Laser Keratorefractive Procedures for Myopia.

SIGNIFICANCE: Psychophysical estimates of spatial and depth vision have been shown to be better after bilateral ReLEx small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) refractive surgery for myopia, relative to photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK). The present study provides the optical basis for these findings using computational image quality analysis. PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare longitudinal changes in higher-order wavefront aberrations and image quality before and after bilateral PRK, FS-LASIK, and SMILE refractive procedures for correcting myopia. METHODS: Wavefront aberrations and image quality of both the eyes of 106 subjects (n = 40 for FS-LASIK and SMILE and n = 26 for PRK) were determined pre-operatively and at 1-week, 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month post-operative intervals using computational through-focus analysis for a 6-mm pupil diameter. Image quality was quantified in terms of its peak value and its interocular difference, residual defocus that was needed to achieve peak image quality (best focus), and the depth of focus. RESULTS: The increase in root mean squared deviations of higher-order aberrations post-operatively was lesser after SMILE (1-month visit median [25th to 75th interquartile range], 0.34 µm (0.28 to 0.39 µm]) than after PRK (0.80 µm [0.74 to 0.87 µm]) and FS-LASIK (0.74 µm [0.59 to 0.83 µm]; P ≤ .001), all relative to pre-operative values (0.20 µm [0.15 to 0.30 µm]). The peak image quality dropped and its interocular difference increased, best focus shifted myopically by 0.5 to 0.75 D, and depth of focus widened significantly after PRK and FS-LASIK surgeries, all relative to pre-operative values (P < .001). All these changes were negligible but statistically significant in a minority of instances after SMILE surgery (P ≥ .01). CONCLUSIONS: Although all three refractive surgeries correct myopia, the image quality and its similarity between eyes are better and closer to pre-operative values after SMILE, compared with FS-LASIK and PRK. These results can be explained from the underlying increase in higher-order wavefront aberrations experienced by the eye post-operatively.

Evaluation of photoreceptor function in inherited retinal diseases using rod- and cone-enhanced flicker stimuli.

PURPOSE: Clinical assessment of rod and cone photoreceptor sensitivity often involves the use of extended dark adaptation times to minimise cone involvement or the use of bright adapting backgrounds to saturate rods. In this study we examine a new rod/cone sensitivity test, which requires minimal dark adaptation. The aim was to establish whether rod/cone sensitivity losses could be measured reliably in patients with retinal diseases that selectively affect rods or cones when compared to age-matched subjects with normal vision. METHODS: Flicker modulation thresholds (FMTs) were measured psychophysically, using cone- and rod-enhanced stimuli located centrally, and in four quadrants, at 5° retinal eccentricity in 20 patients (age range: 10-41 years) with cone-dominated (Stargardt's disease or macular dystrophy; n = 13) and rod-dominated (retinitis pigmentosa; n = 7) disease. These data were compared against age-matched normals tested with identical stimuli. RESULTS: Across all retinal locations, cone FMTs in cone-dominated diseases (Median ± IQR: 32.32 ± 28.15% for central location) were greater than a majority (83%; 49/59) of corresponding rod FMTs (18.7 ± 3.29%; p = 0.05) and cone FMTs of controls (4.24 ± 2.00%). Similarly, rod FMTs in rod-dominant disease (14.99 ± 22.58%) were greater than a majority (88%; 29/39) of the corresponding cone FMTs (9.09 ± 10.33%) (p = 0.13) and rod FMT of controls (6.80 ± 2.60 %). CONCLUSIONS: Cone-specific deficits were larger than rod-specific deficits in cone-dominated diseases, and vice versa in rod-dominated disease. These results suggest that the new method of assessing photoreceptor sensitivity has potential application in detecting specific rod/cone losses without the need for dark adaptation.

Longitudinal Changes in Optical Quality, Spatial Vision, and Depth Vision after Laser Refractive Surgery for Myopia.

SIGNIFICANCE: Laser refractive surgery procedures are efficacious at correcting myopia, but they result in long-term deterioration of optical quality that affects monocular and binocular visual performance. The study shows that the optical quality of the two eyes needs to be similar to optimize binocular visual performance after surgery. PURPOSE: This study aimed to systematically analyze longitudinal changes in optical quality, high- and low-contrast logMAR acuity and random-dot stereoacuity before and after three refractive surgery procedures for correcting myopia. METHODS: A total of 106 subjects (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, 40; photorefractive keratectomy, 26; small-incision lenticule extraction, 40) with myopia and astigmatism ≤1.5 D participated in this prospective cohort-based study. All aforementioned outcome variables were measured in both eyes pre-operatively and 1 week and 1, 3, and 6 months post-operatively. RESULTS: Pre-operative myopic spherical equivalent of refraction (median [25th to 75th interquartile range], -6.4 D [-8.0 to -4.2 D] for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, -4.3 D [-5.0 to -3.5 D] for photorefractive keratectomy, -5.5 D [-6.5 to -4.3 D] for small-incision lenticule extraction) was corrected to within ±0.75 D of emmetropia in all cohorts up to 6 months post-operatively (P < .001). Higher-order wavefront aberrations, uncorrected high- and low-contrast logMAR acuity, and stereoacuity all worsened and remained so up to 6 months post-operatively, relative to pre-operative values (P < .001). Stereoacuity worsened with both interocular average and difference in the magnitude of higher-order aberrations, whereas logMAR acuities worsened only with interocular average of these aberrations (r ≥ 0.40; P < .01 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Although the refractive surgery procedures tested here correct myopia, they result in a sustained (up to 6 months) loss of optical quality and spatial and depth-related visual functions post-operatively. Both interocular average and difference in the eye's optical quality seem to impair binocular visual functions after refractive surgery for myopia.

Comparison of Three Gaze-position Calibration Techniques in First Purkinje Image-based Eye Trackers.

SIGNIFICANCE: This study highlights potential differences that can arise in gaze-position estimates from first Purkinje image-based eye trackers based on how individual Hirschberg ratios (HRs) are calculated. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and repeatability of eccentric-viewing, prism-based, and theoretical techniques that are routinely used to calibrate HR in first Purkinje image-based eye trackers. METHODS: Hirschberg ratios of 28 participants (18 to 40 years old) were obtained using the PlusOptix PowerRef 3 photorefractor and eye tracker. In the gold standard eccentric-viewing technique, participants viewed eccentric targets (±12°, 4° steps) at 2 m. In the prism-based technique, 4 to 16Δ-D base-out and base-in prisms were placed in 4Δ-D steps before an eye occluded with an infrared filter; the fellow eye fixated a target at 1 m. Each participant's HR was calculated as the slope of the linear regression of the shift in Purkinje image relative to the pupil center for each target eccentricity or induced prism power. Theoretical HR was calculated from the participant's corneal curvature and anterior chamber depth measures. Data collection was repeated on another visit using all three techniques to assess repeatability. Data were also obtained from an Indian cohort (n = 30, 18 to 40 years old) using similar protocols. RESULTS: Hirschberg ratio ranged from 10.61 to 14.63°/mm (median, 11.90°/mm) in the eccentric-viewing technique. The prism-based and theoretical techniques demonstrated inaccuracies of 12 and 4% relative to the eccentric-viewing technique. The 95% limits of agreement of intrasubject variability were ±2.00, ±0.40, and ±0.30°/mm for the prism-based, eccentric-viewing, and theoretical techniques, respectively (P > .05). Intraclass correlation coefficients (95% confidence interval) were 0.99 (0.98 to 1.00) for eccentric, 0.99 (0.99 to 1.00) for theoretical, and 0.88 (0.74 to 0.94) for prism-based techniques. Similar results were found for the Indian cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The prism-based and theoretical techniques both demonstrated relative inaccuracies in measures of HR compared with the eccentric-viewing technique. The prism-based technique exhibited the poorest repeatability.

Binocular cross-correlation analyses of the effects of high-order aberrations on the stereoacuity of eyes with keratoconus.

Stereoacuity losses are induced by increased magnitudes and interocular differences in high-order aberrations (HOAs). This study used keratoconus as a model to investigate the impact of HOAs on disparity processing and stereoacuity. HOAs and stereoacuity were quantified in subjects with keratoconus (n = 21) with HOAs uncorrected (wearing spectacles) or minimized (wearing rigid gas-permeable contact lenses) and in control subjects without keratoconus (n = 5) for 6-mm pupil diameters. Disparity signal quality was estimated using metrics derived from binocular cross-correlation functions of stereo pairs convolved with point-spread functions from these HOAs. Metrics computed for all subjects were compared with stereoacuities. The effects of contrast losses and phase shifts on disparity signal quality were studied independently by manipulating the amplitude and phase components of optical transfer functions. The magnitudes, orientations, interocular relationships in magnitude, and shape of the point-spread function affected the cross-correlation metrics that determine disparity signal quality. Stereoacuity covaries strongly with cross-correlation metrics and moderately with image-quality metrics. Both phase distortions and contrast losses due to HOAs significantly influence computations of binocular disparity. HOA-induced stereoacuity reductions are attributable to disparity blur and noise from image properties that reduce the height and kurtosis of the peak stimulus disparity match of the cross-correlation. Phase distortions and contrast losses due to HOAs are both partly responsible for the greater stereoacuity losses seen with spectacles compared to rigid gas-permeable contact lenses in keratoconus.

Lens magnification affects the estimates of refractive error obtained using eccentric infrared photorefraction.

Positive- and negative-powered ophthalmic lenses are used in eccentric infrared photorefraction to calibrate the device, correct the subject's baseline refractive error before an experimental manipulation, or stimulate blur-driven accommodation. Through theoretical modeling of luminance gradients formed across the pupil and empirical measurements of the eye's refractive error using a commercial photorefractor, this study shows that image magnification by positive lenses and image minification by negative lenses under- and overestimates the refractive error, respectively, all independent of image defocus. The impact of image magnification/minification therefore appears non-trivial in experimental paradigms involving ophthalmic lenses to manipulate the eye's optics during photorefraction.

LogMAR and Stereoacuity in Keratoconus Corrected with Spectacles and Rigid Gas-permeable Contact Lenses.

SIGNIFICANCE: This study showed an improvement in three-dimensional depth perception of subjects with bilateral and unilateral keratoconus with rigid gas-permeable (RGP) contact lens wear, relative to spectacles. This novel information will aid clinicians to consider RGP contact lenses as a management modality in keratoconic patients complaining of depth-related difficulties with their spectacles. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to systematically compare changes in logMAR acuity and stereoacuity from best-corrected spherocylindrical spectacles to RGP contact lenses in bilateral and unilateral keratoconus vis-à-vis age-matched control subjects. METHODS: Monocular and binocular logMAR acuity and random-dot stereoacuity were determined in subjects with bilateral (n = 30; 18 to 24 years) and unilateral (n = 10; 18 to 24 years) keratoconus and 20 control subjects using standard psychophysical protocols. RESULTS: Median (25th to 75th interquartile range) monocular (right eye) and binocular logMAR acuity and stereoacuity improved significantly from spectacles to RGP contact lenses in the bilateral keratoconus cohort (P < .001). Only monocular logMAR acuity of affected eye and stereoacuity improved from spectacles to RGP contact lenses in the unilateral keratoconus cohort (P < .001). There was no significant change in the binocular logMAR acuity from spectacles to RGP contact lenses in the unilateral keratoconus cohort. The magnitude of improvement in binocular logMAR acuity and stereoacuity was also greater for the bilateral compared with the unilateral keratoconus cohort. All outcome measures of cases with RGP contact lenses remained poorer than control subjects (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Binocular resolution and stereoacuity improve from spectacles to RGP contact lenses in bilateral keratoconus, whereas only stereoacuity improves from spectacles to RGP contact lenses in unilateral keratoconus. The magnitude of improvement in visual performance is greater for the binocular compared with the unilateral keratoconus cohort.

Ocular Focusing Behavior of the One-Eyed Child.

PURPOSE: To compare the accommodative gain and pupil miosis of children with only one functional eye with the binocular and monocular accommodative and pupil responses of typically developing age-matched controls. METHODS: Forty-one uniocular cases and 43 controls (3-14 years for both cohorts) watched a cartoon movie on an LCD screen that ramped between 90 and 30 cm, with a stable period of 4 seconds at both viewing distances. Cases performed the task with their only functional eye whereas controls performed the task binocularly and monocularly. A subset of subjects also repeated the task while reading 20/40-sized letters on the LCD screen. Accommodative and pupil responses were recorded using the Plusoptix PowerRef3 photorefractor. RESULTS: Accommodative gain of cases [median (25th-75th IQR): 0.73 (0.60-0.85)] was larger than the monocular gain of controls [0.56 (0.47-0.79)] (P = .03). Both responses were lower than the binocular gain of controls [0.95 (0.81-1.11)] (P < .001). Uniocular pupil miosis of cases [0.14 mm (0.06-0.24 mm)] were similar to monocular [0.12 mm (0.05-0.29 mm)] (P = .69) and smaller than binocular [0.23 mm (0.14-0.34 mm)] (P < .001) responses of controls. The increase in accommodative gain from movie watching to reading was significant only for controls (P = .02) but not for cases (P = .15). Age and time of visual deficit were poorly correlated with accommodative gain and pupil miosis of cases (r ≤ 0.25; P ≥ .1 for all). Age was also poorly correlated with the binocular and monocular accommodative and pupil performance of controls (r ≤ -0.3; P = .33). CONCLUSIONS: The accommodative gain of children with permanent loss of binocularity is in between the binocular and monocular gains of typically developing children. Their accommodative gains do not show any significant increase with a cognitively demanding task even while such a behavior is observed in controls. Pupil responses of uniocular children are similar to the monocular responses of age-matched controls.

Image quality analysis of pseudophakic eyes with uncorrected astigmatism.

PURPOSE: To determine the combined impact of uncorrected astigmatism, pupil diameter, and wavefront aberrations on the distance and near visual performance of pseudophakic eyes with monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) implants using objective image quality (IQ) metrics. METHODS: Monocular distance (4 m) and near (40 cm) logMAR acuities of 15 emmetropic pseudophakic eyes were obtained without astigmatism and with 2.5 diopters myopic to 2.5 diopters hyperopic astigmatism induced along a 90-degree axis. The IQ metrics were calculated from the participant's wavefront aberrations and habitual pupil diameter for all values of astigmatism and correlated with logMAR acuity. The analysis was repeated without higher-order aberrations (HOAs) and with the entire wavefront data for 6-, 3-, and 1.5-mm pupil diameters. RESULTS: Distance acuity deteriorated with uncorrected astigmatism (p < 0.01), whereas near acuity improved with uncorrected myopic astigmatism and deteriorated with uncorrected hyperopic astigmatism (both p < 0.01). The logEW IQ metric showed the best correlation with logMAR acuity (r = 0.86). Distance logEW values deteriorated whereas near logEW values improved in the presence of HOAs for all values of uncorrected astigmatism (p < 0.01). Distance logEW values for 6- and 3-mm pupil diameters were worse than that of the 1.5-mm pupil diameter for all values of uncorrected astigmatism and for both viewing distances (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Image quality metrics analysis can be used successfully to determine the impact of uncorrected astigmatism, pupil diameter, and HOAs on the distance and near logMAR acuities of pseudophakic eyes with monofocal IOL implants. The improvement in near IQ with uncorrected myopic astigmatism and HOAs suggests that these two factors supplement each other to improve near visual performance of pseudophakic eyes. Such an improvement in near vision is however associated with a loss of distance vision in these eyes.

Utility of theoretical Hirschberg ratio for gaze position calibration.

PURPOSE: Gaze position is calibrated in first Purkinje image-based eye trackers using the population-average Hirschberg ratio (HR) that is prone to inaccuracies or using the individual's HR that is cumbersome to obtain empirically. This study investigated (1) the agreement between HR calculated theoretically from the individual's corneal curvature and anterior chamber (AC) depth and those obtained empirically and (2) the contribution of corneal curvature and AC depth in the intersubject variance of the two HRs. METHODS: Twenty-four subjects (mean ± SD age, 23.6 ± 3.5 years) fixated monocularly on a light-emitting diode array spanning ±24 degrees of horizontal or vertical gaze angle, in 4-degree steps, at 95 cm viewing distance. Empirical HR was determined using a custom-designed infrared eye tracker as the magnitude of separation between Purkinje image position and entrance pupil center per unit change in angular eccentricity. Theoretical HR was calculated from the subject's corneal curvature and AC depth using the model of Brodie (1987). RESULTS: Empirical and theoretical HRs for horizontal and vertical gaze directions were well correlated (r ≥ 0.83) and not significantly different from each other (p ≥ 0.23; mean difference [±95% limits of agreement], -0.35 [0.85 to -1.55] degrees/mm for horizontal HR and -0.16 [1.01 to -1.33] degrees/mm for vertical HR). Corneal curvature and AC depth together accounted for greater than or equal to 80% and greater than or equal to 91% of intersubject variance in empirical and theoretical HR, respectively (p < 0.001). Hirschberg ratios changed at -2.3 to -2.8 degrees/mm per millimeter change in corneal curvature and at 2.0 to 2.4 degrees/mm per millimeter change in AC depth. CONCLUSIONS: Theoretical HR calculated from the individual's corneal curvature and AC depth can be used in lieu of the empirical HR for gaze position calibration to within approximately 2 degrees/mm of accuracy. Gaze position accuracy significantly improves by using the theoretical HR, relative to the population-average HR. Corneal curvature and AC depth combined explain the majority of intersubject variability in HR.

Binocular vision of bilaterally pseudophakic eyes with induced astigmatism.

PURPOSE: Induced myopic astigmatism improves the monocular near logMAR (logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution) acuity of pseudophakes with monofocal intraocular lens implants but with a small loss in distance acuity. The impact of induced astigmatism on binocular vision of pseudophakes remains unknown. This study determined the impact of bilaterally induced astigmatism on binocular distance and near logMAR and stereoacuity of bilateral pseudophakes with monofocal intraocular lens implants. METHODS: Distance (3 m) and near (40 cm) logMAR acuity and near (40 cm) stereoacuity were measured in 15 bilateral pseudophakes with 10 different combinations of induced astigmatism. Combinations were chosen such that one eye had no astigmatism or 1 diopter (D) myopic astigmatism at 90 degrees axis or 1 D hyperopic astigmatism at 90 degrees axis. The fellow eye had the same error or that with orthogonal axis (180 degrees) or different magnitude (2.5 D) or opposite polarity. RESULTS: Distance logMAR acuity deteriorated by up to 0.2 logMAR units from median best-corrected values (-0.06 logMAR) only for bilaterally induced (p < 0.01) but not for unilaterally induced (p > 0.9) astigmatism. Near logMAR acuity and stereoacuity improved by up to 0.25 logMAR units and 130 arc sec from their respective median uncorrected values (0.65 logMAR and 225.8 arc sec) for induced myopic astigmatism (p < 0.001). Near acuity was similar or worse than uncorrected values for induced hyperopic astigmatism (p ≥ 0.003). Stereoacuity was better with parallel than with orthogonal axes of induced myopic astigmatism in the two eyes (p = 0.001). LogMAR acuity did not change with axis of astigmatism in the two eyes (p > 0.6). CONCLUSIONS: Distance and near logMAR acuity and stereoacuity of bilateral pseudophakes vary with the combination of astigmatism induced before two eyes. Combinations with myopic astigmatism partly benefit binocular near vision, albeit with a loss of distance vision. Near stereoacuity is better with parallel than with orthogonal axes of myopic astigmatism in the two eyes. Visual performance is equal to or worse than uncorrected condition for hyperopic astigmatism.

Success rates, near-response patterns, and learning trends with free-fusion stereograms.

Free-fusion stereograms are routinely used for demonstrating various stereoscopic effects. Yet, untrained observers find it challenging to perform this task. This study showed that only less than 1/3rd of sixty-one pre-presbyopic adults with normal binocular vision could successfully free-fuse random-dot image pairs and identify the stereoscopic shapes embedded in these patterns. Another one-third of participants performed the task with poor success rates, while the remaining could not perform the task. There was a clear dissociation of vergence and accommodative responses in participants who were successful with free-fusion, as recorded using a dynamic infrared eye tracker and photorefractor. Those in the unsuccessful cluster either showed strong vergence and accommodation or weak vergence and strong accommodation during the task. These response patterns, however, were specific to the free-fusion task because all these participants generated good convergence/accommodation to real-world targets and to conflicting vergence and accommodative demands stimulated with prisms or lenses. Task performance of the unsuccessful cluster also improved significantly following pharmacological paralysis of accommodation and reached the performance levels of the successful cluster. A minority of participants also appeared to progressively learn to dissociate one of the two directions of their vergence and accommodation crosslinks with repeated free-fusion trials. These results suggest that successful free-fusion might depend upon how well participants generate a combination of volitional and reflex vergence responses to large differences in disparity with conflicting static accommodative demands. Such responses would require that only one direction of the vergence-accommodation crosslinks be active at any given time. The sequence of near-responses could also be learnt through repeated trials to optimize task performance.

Comparison of Depth-Related Visuomotor Task Performance in Uniocular Individuals and in Binocular Controls With and Without Temporary Monocular Occlusion.

Purpose: Do one-eyed (uniocular) humans use monocular depth cues differently from those with intact binocularity to perform depth-related visuomotor tasks that emulate complex activities of daily living? If so, does performance depend on the participant's age, duration of uniocularity and head movements? Methods: Forty-five uniocular cases (age range 6-37 years; 2.4 months-31.0 years of uniocularity) and 46 age-similar binocular controls performed a task that required them to pass a hoop around an electrified wire convoluted in depth multiple times, while avoiding contact as indicated by auditory feedback. The task was performed with and without head restraint, in random order. The error rate and speed were calculated from the frequency of contact between the hoop and wire and the total task duration (adjusting for error time), respectively, all determined from video recordings of the task. Head movements were analyzed from the videos using face-tracking software. Results: Error rate decreased with age (P < 0.001) until the late teen years while speed revealed no such trend. Across all ages, the error rate increased and speed decreased in the absence of binocularity (P < 0.001). There was no additional error reduction with duration of uniocularity (P = 0.16). Head movements provided no advantage to task performance, despite generating parallax disparities comparable to binocular viewing. Conclusions: Performance in a dynamic, depth-related visuomotor task is reduced in the absence of binocular viewing, independent of age-related performance level. This study finds no evidence for a prolonged experience with monocular depth cues being advantageous for such tasks over transient loss of binocularity.

Optical phase nullification partially restores visual and stereo acuity lost to simulated blur from higher-order wavefront aberrations of keratoconic eyes.

Contrast demodulation and phase distortions are exaggerated in retinal images blurred by the higher-order wavefront aberrations of keratoconic eyes. While the performance loss from the former parameter is well understood, little is known about the impact of the latter on visual functions in this disease condition. The present study investigated the impact of phase distortions on the monocular logMAR visual acuity, letter discriminability and random-dot stereoacuity of seventeen visually healthy adults (ten for visual acuity and letter discriminability; ten for stereoacuity and three common to both experiments) using images that were computationally blurred by four different higher-order wavefront aberration profiles of keratoconic eyes that showed significant distortions in the phase spectrum. Participants viewed these images through 2 mm artificial pupils to negate their native ocular wavefront aberrations. The results showed progressive losses in visual acuity and stereoacuity with increasing blur, a third of which could be recovered following phase nullification. Letter discriminability also improved following phase nullification, more so for smaller than larger optotypes. Stereoacuity loss and, consequently, its recovery following phase nullification was more prominent for profiles simulating unilateral asymmetric keratoconus than for profiles simulating bilateral symmetric keratoconus. These results agree with previous reports obtained from blur induced with lower-order aberrations and indicate that a similar trend may be observed for more complex patterns of blur like keratoconus. Overall, both contrast demodulation and misalignment of the local features of the blurred image may contribute to losses of spatial and depth vision in keratoconus. Phase nullification may partially mitigate these losses, thereby allowing the processing of finer spatial details and veridical disparity estimations for improved depth perception.