Fusion & Correspondence Flashcards
1
Q
What is the hierarchic arrangement of the BV system?
A
- Photoreceptors
- Retina (local or global)
- Optic nerve, track (LGN), radiations
- Visual cortex
- So a diagnosis does not simply arise from detecting an abnormality
- Clinician must find areas of abnormal function and the cause of the abnormal functions
- An artifical concept, matches the neurologic arrangement of the visual system
- 3 independent, but not exclusive, components
- Sensory, Integrative, & motor system
2
Q
Describe the pyramid of binocular vision
A
- Sensory neurons carry signals from the periphery to CN
- Motor neurons carry signals from the CNS to periphery
- Sensory component serves as the found (fundamental part) followed by integrative & then motor process
- Deficits in the sensory process may cause deficiencies in either or both the remaing systems
- The least fundamental part of the system is the motor process is at the top of the pyramid
- Sensory process - includes anatomic, physiologic and psychologic activities involved in the collection & transmission of visual info to the cortex
- Integrative process - includes those activities that are involved in the fusion of the two cortical images to form a single binocular percept of visual space
- Motor process - includes those activities necessary to properly align eyes at various distances and directions of gaze
- The pyramid guide is a good guide to approaching BV issues
- some anomalies have both sensory & motor aspects (ex. amblyopia , strab)
3
Q
What are some anomalies of sensory processes?
A
- Because anomalies of the sensory process may caues deficiencies in either or both of the remaining systems, they are extraordinarily important as they can be a barrier to good BV
- ametropia - refractive condition where the far point is not at infinity (myopia, hyperopia, astig)
- Amblyopia - reduced VA not correctable w/ best refraction
- Eccentric fixation - amblyope does not use central foveal area for fixation under monocular conditions
- Accommodative dysfunction - poor amplitude, decreased facility, spasm
- Disease - ex ptosis, keratconus, media opacities, retinal or visual pathway disease
4
Q
What are some anomalies of Integrative Processes
A
- When the images from 2 eyes are too different, various process are used to eliminate the resultant diplopia & visual confusion. Although these anomalies process impede normal BV, they are beneficial restoring a single clear image (of one eye)
- Anomalies of the integrative process should be manipulated with caution becaue the consequence of their elimination are not easily reversed
- Suppression - lack or inability of perception of normally visible objects in all or part of the field of vision in one eye, attributed to cortical inhibition
- Anomalous retinal correspondence - fovea of 2 eyes are not aligned for a common vision direction
- Horror fusionalis - inability to obtain fusion or superimposition of haploscopically presented targets
- Aniseikonia - relative difference in image size between OD and OS
5
Q
What are some anomalies of motor processes?
A
-
Motor anomalies are at the apex of the pyramid of BV and are last to be treated
- Ex. vergence disorders should be approached after treating sensory and integrative problems
- Motor anomalies are common and have a significant effect on both visual comfort and performance
- Vergence dysfunction - ex. esophoria, exophoria, vertical phoria, convergence insufficiency; among most commonly diagnosed binocular anomalies
- Strabismus - crossing of the eyes arising congenitally or due to trauma, surgery, tumor, etc
- Nystagmus - rhythmic oscillation of the eyes, beyond normal fixational or endgaze mvmts
6
Q
Describe binocular fusion
A
- Binocular fusion - process by which 2 images, one from each eye, give rise to a unified percept of one single object
- separating 2 eyes does not tell us about the process or limits to fusing 2 images
-
Classifying Binocular fusion
- 3 degrees/grades of fusion used clinically
- All 3 degrees of fusion are necessary for deriving the full benefit of binocular vision
- Grade I = simultaneous perception
- Grade II = Flat fusion
- Grade III = Fusion w/ stereopsis (highest level of BV function)
- Any of these degrees of fusion may be affected individually or in combination by motor and sensory binocular visual disorders
7
Q
Simultaneous Pereception
A
- Simultaneous view of 2 disparate, dichoptically - viewed DISSIMILAR images
- Dichoptic - viewing a separate and independent field by each eye
- Ex. A = OS, B = OD
- Diplopia and/or confusion
- can be tested with major amblyoscope
- Grade I
8
Q
Super Imposition
A
- Superimposition of 2 disparate, dichoptically - viewed dissimilar images (A = OS, B = OD)
- No TRUE fusion
- No diplopia or confusion
- No frame or object to serve as fusion lock
- Grade I
9
Q
Flat fusion (fusion without depth)
A
- Represents 2 dichoptically-viewed images combined into a single percept
- Note: the images to each eye have some similar detail and non-similar detail
- involves binocular summatin, binocular correspondence and fusion without depth (2-D)
- Note the fusion lock
- true fusion but NO stereopsis
10
Q
Fusion with Stereopsis
A
- Worth’s highest level of binocular vision (Grade III)
- Stimulation of non-corresponding points that are fairly close together. This small retinal disparity gives rise to stereopsis
- Binocular 3D depth percetion derived from similar, dichoptically-viewed images to OD and OS
11
Q
Define fusion
A
- a process of cohesively merging the 2 images (one from each eye)
- Fusion occurs when a point in one eye and corresponding region in the other eye are stimulated
- Two types
- Motor fusion
- Sensory fusion
- Fusion, whether sensory or motor, is always a central process i.e. it takes place in the visual cortex
- Combining the information from the 2 eyes involves some combination of motor and sensory fusion
12
Q
Define motor fusion
A
- Motor fusion denotes the use of vergence eye mvmts reflex to position the eyes so that corresponding points are superimposed. (it is the ability to align eyes in such a manner that snesory fusion can be maintained)
- Convergence or divegence
- Ex. In order to fuse the tip of the pencil, your eyes have to converge toward the pencil until the tip of imaged on respective foveas
-
Stimulus - retinal disparity outside panum’s area and the eyes moving in opposite direction (vergence)
- Unlike sensory fusion, motor fusion is the exclusive function of the extrafoveal retinal periphery
13
Q
What are some clinical applications for motor fusion?
A
- Most strabismus pt unable to achieve motor fusion becaue of their inability to place images of the object on the fovea of each eye
- Impairments of BV, caused by
- Visual stress
- Pathology
- Trauma
- Drugs
- Fatigue
- Will make the task of bringing together similar features in 2 retinal images difficult
14
Q
Sensory Fusion
A
- Sensory fusion - neurophysical and physiological process by which the visual cortex
- SF present even without convergence or divergence (motor fusion)
- e.g. slit lamp with parallel optics
- Requires somewhat strict similarity between 2 monocular images
- For sensory fusion to occur, the images not only must be located on corresponding retinal areas but also must be sufficiently similar in size, brightness and sharpness to permit sensory
- significant dissimilarities between the 2 images will disrupt sensory function
- For sensory fusion to occur, the images must be
- located on corresponding retinal areas
- Be presented simultaneously
- Be similar in size, brightness, and sharpness
- Significant dissimilarities between the 2 images will disrupt sensory fusion
15
Q
What are some clinical applications for sensory fusion?
A
- Dissimilarities between images - will disrupt sensory fusion
- Ex. Anisometropia, visual differences induced by amblyopia, absence of motor fusion
- The visual system then retorts to either suppression or anomalous correspondence to form percept of unified world
-
suppression - represents absence of sensory fusion
- E.g strab pt who suppresses has inadequate motor & sensory fusion
-
anomalous correspondence - has sensory fusion but inadquate motor fusion
- E.g strab pt who compensates by anomalous correspondence