Worth 4 Dot App for Determining Size and Depth of Suppression
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This may be the author’s version of a work that was submitted/accepted for publication in the following source: Webber, Ann L., Mandall, Thomas R., Molloy, Darcy T., Lister, Lucas J.,& Birch, Eileen E. (2020) Worth 4 dot app for determining size and depth of suppression. Translational Vision Science and Technology, 9(4), Article number: 9. This file was downloaded from: https://eprints.qut.edu.au/202216/ c 2020 The Authors This work is covered by copyright. Unless the document is being made available under a Creative Commons Licence, you must assume that re-use is limited to personal use and that permission from the copyright owner must be obtained for all other uses. If the docu- ment is available under a Creative Commons License (or other specified license) then refer to the Licence for details of permitted re-use. It is a condition of access that users recog- nise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. If you believe that this work infringes copyright please provide details by email to [email protected] License: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 Notice: Please note that this document may not be the Version of Record (i.e. published version) of the work. Author manuscript versions (as Sub- mitted for peer review or as Accepted for publication after peer review) can be identified by an absence of publisher branding and/or typeset appear- ance. If there is any doubt, please refer to the published source. https://doi.org/10.1167/tvst.9.4.9 Article Worth 4 Dot App for Determining Size and Depth of Suppression Ann L. Webber1, Thomas R. Mandall1, Darcy T. Molloy1, Lucas J. Lister1, and Eileen E. Birch2,3 1 School of Optometry and Vision Science, Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia 2 Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, TX, USA 3 UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA Correspondence: Ann L. Webber, Purpose: To describe and evaluate an iOS application suppression test, Worth 4 Dot Queensland University of App (W4DApp), which was designed and developed to assess size and depth of Technology, 60 Musk Avenue, Kelvin suppression. Grove, Queensland 4059, Australia. Methods: e-mail: [email protected] Characteristics of sensory fusion were evaluated in 25 participants (age 12– 69 years) with normal (n = 6) and abnormal (n = 19) binocular vision. Suppression zone Received: August 12, 2019 size and classification of fusion were determined by W4DApp and by flashlight Worth4 Accepted: December 13, 2019 Dot (W4D) responses from 33 cm to 6 m. Measures of suppression depth were compared Published: March 9, 2020 between the W4DApp, the flashlight W4D with neutral density filter bar and the dichop- Keywords: suppression; binocular tic letters contrast balance index test. vision; Worth 4 Dot Results: There was high agreement in classification of fusion between the W4DApp Citation: Webber AL, Mandall TR, method and that derived from flashlight W4D responses from 33 cm to 6m(α = Molloy DT, Lister LJ, Birch EE. Worth 0.817). There were no significant differences in success rates or in reliability between 4 Dot App for determining size and the W4DApp or the flashlight W4D methods for determining suppression zone size. depth of suppression. Trans Vis Sci W4DApp suppression zone size strongly correlated to that determined with the flash- Tech. 2020;9(4):9, light W4D (rho = 0.964, P < 0.001). W4DApp depth of suppression measures showed https://doi.org/10.1167/tvst.9.4.9 significantly higher success ratesχ ( 2 = 5.128, P = 0.043) and reliability (intraclass corre- lation analysis = 0.901) but no significant correlation to the depth of suppression calcu- lated by flashlight W4D and neutral density bar (rho = 0.301, P = 0.399) or contrast balance index (rho =−0.018, P = 0.958). Conclusions: The W4DApp has potential clinical benefit in measuring suppression zone size; however, further modifications are required to improve validity of suppression depth measures. Translational Relevance: W4DApp iOS application will be a convenient tool for clinical determination of suppression characteristics. be difficulty achieving interpretable outcomes when Introduction examining young children.4 Several modifications to the original test design have resulted from these identi- The Worth 4 Dot (W4D) test was first developed fied limitations.4 An early adaptation by Hardy7 led to assess binocular perception by Claud Worth in to the introduction of near point testing using a flash- 19031 and remains one of the world’s most frequently light apparatus. The use of polarized targets improved used clinical tools to evaluate unilateral suppression interpretable response rates and significantly decreased under binocular viewing conditions.2–4 Criticism of dissociation,2,3 and increased success rates in young the test includes lack of standardization in manufac- children was achieved with use of shaped targets ture, and in spacing and subtended visual angles of instead of dots.8 the dots.5 Further, the highly dissociative red/green The W4D test is the accepted method for assess- filters may introduce artifact responses,6 and there can ing the presence or absence of central and peripheral Copyright 2020 The Authors tvst.arvojournals.org | ISSN: 2164-2591 1 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Downloaded from tvst.arvojournals.org on 07/20/2020 Worth 4 Dot App for Size and Depth of Suppression TVST | March 2020 | Vol. 9 | No. 4 | Article 9 | 2 fusion.3 The separation of dots commonly used for and depth of suppression, and suggest our future the 3 m “distance” test subtend 1.25° visual angle and modifications. evaluates central fusion. The separation of dots for the 33 cm “near” test subtend 6° and evaluates periph- eral fusion.3,5,9 To further describe suppression, the Methods W4D flashlight version is used to calculate the sizeof a suppression scotoma by changing the test viewing distance to vary visual angle of dot separation.3,9 Study Design However, this evaluation is time-consuming in clinical This is a proof-of-concept study that compared the practice and requires visual angle calculations to deter- determination of fusion classification by the W4DApp mine the exact scotoma size. Additionally, varying the and Good-lite 950100 Worth 4-Dot Flashlight at differ- viewing test distances may induce a change in accom- ent viewing distances. In those participants with abnor- modative demand and vergence posture. Although the mal sensory fusion, the success rate, reliability and extent of influence of accommodation and vergence validity for determination of suppression zone size, and posture on suppression is not established, controlling depth of suppression were compared between the novel these factors may improve the validity of W4D results. W4DApp and flashlight W4D. Depth of suppression can be graded clinically by intro- ducing a calibrated neutral density filter to lower the Participants relative brightness of targets; however, limited test- retest reliability is reported.10–12 Characteristics of suppression were determined in Recent studies have reported a significant correla- 25 participants prospectively recruited for a study of tion between the severity of suppression and the sever- clinical binocular vision tests (19 participants with ity of amblyopia, despite these conditions being previ- abnormal binocular vision development from strabis- ously considered separate entities.11,13 Furthermore, mus or amblyopia and 6 participants with normal amblyopia treatment targeted at reducing suppression vision development). Participants were aged from can significantly improve both binocular vision and 12 years, and all had a comprehensive vision and monocular acuity.11,13,14 These findings emphasize the intraocular health exam that included previous treat- need to develop a more standardized tool for assessing ment history, visual acuity (electronic Early Treat- size and depth of suppression for use in clinical practice ment of Diabetic Study e-ETDRS), clinical stereoacu- and in clinical trials. ity (Randot Preschool Stereoacuity Test; Stereo Optical We developed an iOS application suppression test, Co, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), ocular alignment (unilat- the Worth 4 Dot App (W4DApp) to address the eral and prism alternating cover test) and Worth 4 limitations of the classic Worth 4 Dot test. This Dot response at 6 m and 33 cm. Classification criteria software features the principle design of the W4D with for normal binocular vision group were best-corrected additional features to easily quantify size and depth visual acuity of 0.00 logMAR or better, and 60 sec of suppression scotomas without complex calculations. of arc stereoacuity on Randot Preschool Stereoacu- The App interface is simple to operate, and the iOS ity Test, no suppression on classical 6 m Worth 4 Dot format makes this tool highly accessible to all clinicians test and no known history of amblyopia or strabis- with a compatible device. mus. Classification criteria for abnormal binocular The main clinical advantage of the W4DApp is vision group (BV-abnormal) were a known history of the ability to adjust dot parameters, including target strabismus (with or without amblyopia), or amblyopia separation and contrast. This allows accurate changes (anisometropic, strabismic or combined mechanism). to visual angle separation from the same viewing Amblyopia was defined as an interocular difference in distance, to assess suppression zone size while control- best-corrected visual acuity of 0.20 logMAR or more. ling any effects of accommodation and vergence. No participants had coexisting general developmental, The W4DApp also determines depth of suppression systemic, or ocular pathology or congenital abnormal- measures without requiring additional filters. These ity. size and depth measures provide a quantitative assess- Data were collected at the Queensland University ment of suppression severity, which can have potential of Technology. The study was conducted in accordance benefit to clinicians in monitoring amblyopia, strabis- with the requirements of the Queensland University of mus, or both.