Ocular dominance explained

Ocular dominance, sometimes called eye preference or eyedness,[1] is the tendency to prefer visual input from one eye to the other.[2] It is somewhat analogous to the laterality of right- or left-handedness; however, the side of the dominant eye and the dominant hand do not always match.[3] This is because both hemispheres control both eyes, but each one takes charge of a different half of the field of vision, and therefore a different half of both retinas (See Optic Tract for more details). There is thus no direct analogy between "handedness" and "eyedness" as lateral phenomena.[4]

Approximately 70% of the population are right-eye dominant and 29% left-eye dominant.[1] [5] [6] [7] Dominance does appear to change depending upon direction of gaze[2] [8] due to image size changes on the retinas.[9] There also appears to be a higher prevalence of left-eye dominance in those with Williams–Beuren syndrome,[10] and possibly in migraine sufferers as well.[11] Eye dominance has been categorized as "weak" or "strong";[12] highly profound cases are sometimes caused by amblyopia or strabismus.

In those with anisometropic myopia (different amounts of nearsightedness between the two eyes), the dominant eye has typically been found to be the one with more myopia.[13] As far as regards subjects with normal binocular vision, the widespread notion that the individual's better-sighted eye would tend to be the dominant eye has been challenged as lacking empirical basis.[14]

Dominance can change and may switch between the eyes depending on the task and physical condition of the subject (i.e. fatigue).

Effects

In normal binocular vision there is an effect of parallax, and therefore the dominant eye is the one that is primarily relied on for precise positional information. This may be extremely important in sports which require aim, such as archery, darts or shooting sports.

In a 1998 study of professional baseball players, hand–ocular dominance patterns did not show an effect on batting average or ERA.[15] Similarly, in 2005, a South African study found that "cricketers were not more likely to have crossed dominance" than the normal population.[16]

Ocular dominance is an important consideration in predicting patient satisfaction with monovision correction in cataract surgery[17] refractive surgery, also laser eye surgery, and contact lens wear.

The dominant eye has more neural connections to the brain than the other eye does. According to a sixty-person study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, in non-dyslexic people, the blue cone-free spot in the dominant eye tends to be round and the same spot in the non-dominant eye tends to be unevenly shaped; in dyslexic people both eyes tend to have round areas.[18] The study suggests this difference may be a potential, and possibly treatable, cause of dyslexia; however, further tests are required to confirm this. At least 700 million people worldwide have dyslexia. In response to the study, John Stein of the University of Oxford cautions that while the study is "really interesting", there is no one single cause of dyslexia.[19] [20]

Determination

A person's dominant eye "is determined by subjective alignment of two objects presented at a stereodisparity far beyond Panum's area".[21] There are a number of ways to do this:

  1. The Miles test. The observer extends both arms, brings both hands together to create a small opening, then with both eyes open views a distant object through the opening. The observer then alternates closing the eyes or slowly draws opening back to the head to determine which eye is viewing the object (i.e. the dominant eye).[22] [23] [24]
  2. The Porta test. The observer extends one arm, then with both eyes open aligns the thumb or index finger with a distant object. The observer then alternates closing the eyes or slowly draws the thumb/finger back to the head to determine which eye is viewing the object (i.e. the dominant eye).[23] [25] [26]
  3. The Dolman method, also known as the hole-in-the-card test. The subject is given a card with a small hole in the middle, instructed to hold it with both hands, then instructed to view a distant object through the hole with both eyes open. The observer then alternates closing the eyes or slowly draws the opening back to the head to determine which eye is viewing the object (i.e. the dominant eye).[27]
  4. The convergence near-point test. The subject fixates an object that is moved toward the nose until divergence of one eye occurs (i.e. the non-dominant eye). It is an objective test of ocular dominance.[27]
  5. Certain stereograms.[28]
  6. The pinhole test.[29]
  7. The ring test.[30]
  8. Lens fogging technique. The subject fixates a distant object with both eyes open and appropriate correction in place. A +2.00 or +2.50 lens is alternately introduced in front of each eye, which blurs the distant object. The subject is then asked to state in which eye is the blur more noticeable. This is the dominant eye.
  9. A dichoptic motion coherence threshold test yields a quantified indication of ocular dominance.[31]

Forced choice tests of dominance, such as the Dolman method, allow only a right or left eye result.[27]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Chaurasia BD, Mathur BB . Eyedness . Acta Anatomica . 96 . 2 . 301–5 . 1976 . 970109 . 10.1159/000144681 .
  2. Khan AZ, Crawford JD . Ocular dominance reverses as a function of horizontal gaze angle . Vision Research . 41 . 14 . 1743–8 . June 2001 . 11369037 . 10.1016/S0042-6989(01)00079-7 . 12186721 . free .
  3. Porac C, Coren S . Is eye dominance a part of generalized laterality? . Perceptual and Motor Skills . 40 . 3 . 763–9 . June 1975 . 1178363 . 10.2466/pms.1975.40.3.763 . 33204029 .
  4. Hagemann . N. . The advantage of being left handed in interactive sports . Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics . 71 . 7 . 1641–1648 . 2009 . 19801623 . 10.3758/APP.71.7.1641 . free .
  5. Reiss MR . Ocular dominance: some family data . Laterality . 2 . 1 . 7–16 . 1997 . 15513049 . 10.1080/713754254 .
  6. Ehrenstein WH, Arnold-Schulz-Gahmen BE, Jaschinski W . Eye preference within the context of binocular functions . Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology . 243 . 9 . 926–32 . September 2005 . 15838666 . 10.1007/s00417-005-1128-7 . 10.1.1.60.4432 . 1558803 .
  7. Eser I, Durrie DS, Schwendeman F, Stahl JE . Association between ocular dominance and refraction . Journal of Refractive Surgery . 24 . 7 . 685–9 . September 2008 . 18811110 . 10.3928/1081597X-20080901-07 .
  8. Quartley J, Firth AY . Binocular sighting ocular dominance changes with different angles of horizontal gaze . Binocular Vision & Strabismus Quarterly . 19 . 1 . 25–30 . 2004 . 14998366 .
  9. Banks MS, Ghose T, Hillis JM . Relative image size, not eye position, determines eye dominance switches . Vision Research . 44 . 3 . 229–34 . February 2004 . 14642894 . 10.1016/j.visres.2003.09.029 . 45772 .
  10. Van Strien JW, Lagers-Van Haselen GC, Van Hagen JM, De Coo IF, Frens MA, Van Der Geest JN . Increased prevalences of left-handedness and left-eye sighting dominance in individuals with Williams-Beuren syndrome . Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology . 27 . 8 . 967–76 . November 2005 . 16207621 . 10.1080/13803390490919119 . 24853662 .
  11. Aygül R, Dane S, Ulvi H . Handedness, eyedness, and crossed hand-eye dominance in male and female patients with migraine with and without aura: a pilot study . Perceptual and Motor Skills . 100 . 3 Pt 2 . 1137–42 . June 2005 . 16158700 . 10.2466/pms.100.3c.1137-1142 . 28551538 .
  12. Handa T, Shimizu K, Mukuno K, Kawamorita T, Uozato H . Effects of ocular dominance on binocular summation after monocular reading adds . Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery . 31 . 8 . 1588–92 . August 2005 . 16129296 . 10.1016/j.jcrs.2005.01.015 . 41767553 .
  13. Vincent SJ, Collins MJ, Read SA, Carney LG, Yap MK . Interocular symmetry in myopic anisometropia . Optometry and Vision Science . 88 . 12 . 1454–62 . December 2011 . 21964662 . 10.1097/OPX.0b013e318233ee5f . 20113627 .
  14. Pointer JS . The absence of lateral congruency between sighting dominance and the eye with better visual acuity . Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics . 27 . 1 . 106–10 . January 2007 . 17239197 . 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2006.00414.x . 28900363 .
  15. Laby DM, Kirschen DG, Rosenbaum AL, Mellman MF . The effect of ocular dominance on the performance of professional baseball players . Ophthalmology . 105 . 5 . 864–6 . May 1998 . 9593388 . 10.1016/S0161-6420(98)95027-8 .
  16. Thomas NG, Harden LM, Rogers GG . Visual evoked potentials, reaction times and eye dominance in cricketers . The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness . 45 . 3 . 428–33 . September 2005 . 16230997 .
  17. Handa T, Mukuno K, Uozato H, Niida T, Shoji N, Minei R, Nitta M, Shimizu K . Ocular dominance and patient satisfaction after monovision induced by intraocular lens implantation . Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery . 30 . 4 . 769–74 . April 2004 . 15093637 . 10.1016/j.jcrs.2003.07.013 . 39690729 .
  18. Le Floch A, Ropars G . Left-right asymmetry of the Maxwell spot centroids in adults without and with dyslexia . Proceedings. Biological Sciences . 284 . 1865 . 20171380 . October 2017 . 29046375 . 5666095 . 10.1098/rspb.2017.1380 .
  19. News: Agence France-Presse . Dyslexia: scientists claim cause of condition may lie in the eyes. 21 October 2017. The Guardian. 18 October 2017.
  20. News: Dyslexia eye link spotted by scientists. 21 October 2017. BBC News. 18 October 2017.
  21. Kromeier M, Heinrich SP, Bach M, Kommerell G . Ocular prevalence and stereoacuity . Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics . 26 . 1 . 50–6 . January 2006 . 16390482 . 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2005.00344.x . 10.1.1.570.3941 . 7515192 .
  22. Web site: Shooting Eye Dominance for Bows & Guns. www.huntersfriend.com. 2016-04-22.
  23. Roth HL, Lora AN, Heilman KM . Effects of monocular viewing and eye dominance on spatial attention . Brain . 125 . Pt 9 . 2023–35 . September 2002 . 12183348 . 10.1093/brain/awf210 . free .
  24. Web site: Determining your Dominant Eye. Pat Norris Archery. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150219011019/http://patnorrisarchery.com/tech-talk.htm. 19 February 2015. dmy-all.
  25. Web site: Right or left eye dominant? . . . . . how to check. https://web.archive.org/web/20011210015521/http://golf-spec.com/EyeDominantPage.htm. 10 December 2001.
  26. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20080215220943/http://www.sportvue.com/support/dominance.php. 15 February 2008. Eye Dominance Test. SportVue.
  27. Cheng CY, Yen MY, Lin HY, Hsia WW, Hsu WM. August 2004. Association of ocular dominance and anisometropic myopia. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 45. 8. 2856–60. 10.1167/iovs.03-0878. 15277513.
  28. Web site: Stereogram test for right/left eye dominance.. https://web.archive.org/web/20080522171306/http://www.math.gatech.edu/~berglund/eyedominance.html. 22 May 2008.
  29. Berens C, Zerbe J . A new pinhole test and eye-dominance tester . American Journal of Ophthalmology . 36 . 7 1 . 980–1 . July 1953 . 13065383 . 10.1016/0002-9394(53)92183-7 .
  30. Safra D . [The "Ring Test" for evaluating eye dominance] . de . Klinische Monatsblätter für Augenheilkunde . 195 . 1 . 35–6 . July 1989 . 2796230 . 10.1055/s-2008-1046410 .
  31. Li J, Lam CS, Yu M, Hess RF, Chan LY, Maehara G, Woo GC, Thompson B . Quantifying sensory eye dominance in the normal visual system: a new technique and insights into variation across traditional tests . Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science . 51 . 12 . 6875–81 . December 2010 . 20610837 . 10.1167/iovs.10-5549 .

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