Correlation between myopic ametropia and stereoacuity in school-aged children in Taiwan

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between stereoacuity, as analyzed by the Titmus stereotest, and the severity of myopia, astigmatism and anisometropia in a school-aged population in Taiwan. Methods: Cycloplegic autorefraction, best corrected monocular visual acuity and stereoacuity were measured in 6- to 18-year-old school children. Children with amblyopia (best corrected visual acuity of <20/25) or strabismus were excluded from this study. The correlation between stereoacuity and the severity of myopia, astigmatism and anisometropia was analyzed by the Titmus stereotest. Results: A total of 166 children (95 boys, 71 girls; mean age 10.75 years, range 6-18 years) with myopia or astigmatism were enrolled in the study. The mean spherical error was -2.22 ± 1.70 diopters (D) (range -0.25 to -9.50 D), and the mean astigmatism was -0.72 ± 0.89 (range 0 to -4.50) D. An anisometropia of >1.00 D and spherical anisometropia of >1.00 D were strongly associated with decreased stereoacuity on the Titmus stereotest (P < 0.001). Astigmatism was also correlated with the performance of stereopsis (P = 0.013). Conclusion: Anisometropia (>1.00 D), spherical anisometropia (>1.00 D), and astigmatism were associated with reduced stereoacuity in school-aged children.