On the relationship between eye dominance and stereopsis: normative data

Abstract

Purpose : In different individuals, the two eyes do not always make an equal contribution in binocular processing. The extent of perceptual eye dominance, a reflection of eye balance can be quantitatively measured using the binocular phase combination task. In this study, we provide a normative dataset for perceptual eye dominance using this task. Based on this, we also assessed the relationship between perceptual eye dominance and stereopsis.

Methods : 142 normal adults (average age: 24 ± 1.7 years old) with normal or corrected to normal monocular visual acuity (logMAR < 0.0) participated. Z800 pro head-mount goggles were used to dichoptically present stimuli to observers’ two eyes. Individual’s perceptual eye dominance was measured using the binocular phase combination task for a spatial frequency of 0.3 cycles/degree at different interocular contrast ratios when the stimuli to the non-dominant eye had a fixed contrast of 100%. Observers’ perceptual eye dominance was quantified in two ways: the averaged interocular contrast ratio when the two eyes were balanced (i.e., the balance point) and the binocular perceived phase when each eye viewed maximum contrast stimuli. Stereo acuities were measured with maximum contrast stimuli of identical spatial frequency using a comparable paradigm to that used in the eye dominance assessment.

Results : The averaged balance point was 0.93 ± 0.06 (mean ± SD), the averaged binocular perceived phase when both eyes viewed maximum contrast stimuli was -7.12 ± 6.51 degrees, and the averaged stereo acuity was 2.19 ± 0.34 log arc seconds in this group of normal adults. The perceived phase when the two eyes viewed maximum contrast stimuli (rho = 0.17, P = 0.04), rather than the balance point (rho = 0.15, P = 0.08) was significantly correlated with stereo acuity.

Conclusions : The mean perceptual eye dominance in normal adults is close to the ideal (i.e., balanced). Our eye dominance in phase combination and stereopsis may share some common pathways in binocular processing.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.