Abstract
Purpose::
To evaluate the fine motor skills, reading eye movements and perceived self esteem in amblyopic children compared with age-matched controls.
Methods::
This case-control study included children who had been diagnosed and treated for amblyopia (n=82) and age-matched controls (n=37). The mean ages of the test and control groups were 8.2 + 0.2 years and 8.3 + 0.2 years respectively. Of the amblyopic children, 22 had aetiology of infantile esotropia, 28 acquired strabismus, 15 anisometropia, 13 mixed aetiology (had both anisometropia and strabismus) and 9 had deprivation amblyopia. All participants were assessed on a battery of vision tests including logMAR visual acuity (VA), stereopsis by Randot Preschool stereopsis test and reading eye movements assessed by the Developmental Eye Movement (DEM) test. Fine motor skills were assessed using Visual-Motor Control and Upper Limb Speed and Dexterity subtests of the Brunicks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency and perceived self esteem assessed using the Harter Self Perception Profile for Children.
Results::
Stereoacuity was significantly reduced and inter-ocular VA differences were greater in the amblyopes compared to controls (p>0.05). Amblyopes had poorer fine motor skills compared to controls for 10 of 16 sub-tests and for the overall age-standardised scores for both visual-motor control and upper limb speed and dexterity items. Subgroup aetiology significantly affected Visual-Motor Control and Upper Limb Speed and Dexterity results. Performance on fine motor skills tasks was not significantly related to level of stereopsis or inter-ocular VA differences in the amblyopic group. No differences in eye movements (DEM) were found between the amblyopes and controls. Of the self-esteem measures, only social acceptance was decreased for the amblyopes relative to controls.
Conclusions::
Fine motor skills were significantly worse and perception of social acceptance was lower in amblyopic children, whilst reading eye movements were unaffected. Performance on the fine motor skills tasks could not be predicted by level of stereopsis or inter-ocular VA difference in the amblyopic group.
Keywords: amblyopia • strabismus