Abstract :
Background: Studies had also shown that 86% of children with refractive error living in rural area are without correction as many are unaware of their problem. Refractive error by itself plays a significant role on one’s quality of life and literature had also proven it.
Aim: To study the visual functions in ametropes with 6/6 BCVA and compare it with emmetropes.
Materials and Methods : A cross-sectional study was conducted for a period of one year. All the 200 subjects were tested for refractive error using auto refractor, distance and near visual acuity was assessed with the ETDRS chart, contrast sensitivity was assessed using LEA symbol chart, color vision was assessed using FM 15 online test and field vision was tested using Bjerrum tangent screen, stereopsis was examined using TNO cards, morphometric measurements was done by measuring the axial length using A scan and the K reading was obtained using auto keratometer and finally the functional assessment was analysed using the reading and writing speed.
Results: A total of 200 subjects with 100 ametropes and 100 emmetropes were included in our study. Colour vision, near point accommodation, near point convergence, axial length were significantly altered in ametropes. Contrast sensitivity, steropsis and reading speed were significantly reduced in ametropes compared to emmetropes. There was no significant difference in visual functions between different types refractive error subjects like myopia, hypermetropia and astigmatism.
Conclusion: The present study proves that visual acuity alone is not an indicator for assessing the quality of vision instead the complete visual functions has to be screened on all patients reporting with refractive error.
Keyword :
Visual functions, Refractive error, Emmetropes.