5 & 6. Accommodation, convergence and pupil responses Flashcards
Define what is meant by Near Vision Complex?
Changing fixation from distance to near requires an increase in both accommodation and vergence and these 2 changes are accompanied by pupillary constriction. The combination of these 3 forms the near vision complex.
What is accommodation?
Change in the curvature & thickness of the crystalline lens due to the constriction of the ciliary muscle.
Describe what happens to zonnule of zinn and lens when ciliary muscles constrict?
When ciliary muscle constricts, it pulls forward and into the lens, relaxing tension of zonnules of zinn and allowing the lens to expand.
What stimulates accommodation?
Blurred retinal images
What is far point of accommodation in an emmetrope? (FPA)
Infinity, where no accommodation is required
What is the near point of accommodation in an emmetrope? (NPA)
Closest point to eye where image is focused on the retina with max accommodation
FPA to NPA =?
Amplitude of accommodation
Give 1 way in which you can obtain true measurements of accommodation- FPA & NPA?
Uncorrected refractive errors- patients should be wearing glasses when accommodation is measured.
Relationship of accommodation and age
Accommodation declines with age
What are the other factors that can affect accommodation rather then age and uncorrected refractive error?
- Systemic diseases
- Patients with disabilities or learning difficulties
- Medications
- Myopes have more accommodation compared to emmetropes and emmetropes have more accommodation then hyperopes
- Race
- Diurnal variation
4 components of accommodation
- Tonic
- Reflex
- Vergence/ convergence
- Proximal
Define tonic accommodation? and how can it be measured?
This is accommodation present in resting state, when there is no stimulus.
Measured by comparing ret at distance then repeating ret in complete darkness.
Define reflex accommodation and how is it measured?
What is its stimulus?
Automatic response of accommodation to maintain a clear retinal image.
How it is measured: measured by monocular ret using negative lenses at a fixed distance.
Stimulus: blurred image
What is vergence/ convergence as a component of accommodation?
Stimulus is convergent and this is only present when both eyes are open. Contributes to increase in amplitude of accommodation when binocular cf. monoc
Measured by ret at fixed distances with prisms to change vergence
What is proximal accommodation?
Stimulus is the perception of the proximity of the fixation target.
Measured by ret at 2 distances, adding plus to correct for distance between 2
What is the relation between accommodative response and stimulus? and what is the theatrically the same?
Accommodative response: how much is actually executed.
Accommodative stimulus: how much accommodation is theoretically required.
Theoretically they should be the same
What are the 2 problems with accommodation?
- Accommodative lag: less accommodation is exerted then required.
Accommodative lead: More accommodation is exerted than required
How is accommodative stimulus measured?
Using RAF rule
How is lag or lead measured?
Dynamic ret
What are the 4 problems with accommodation?
- Accommodation infacility: Delay in accommodative response- patients report with blurred vision when looking up from near tasks that clear slowly.
- Accommodative fatigue: Amplitude declines or reaction time increases with repeated measures.
- Accommodative insufficiency: low amplitude of accommodation.
- Accommodative spasm: over accommodation- causes blurry vision in the distance.