The development of the human visual system's spatial resolving capacities has been previoulsy studied in infants through measures of grating acuity and contrast sensitivity. However, adults are capable of making spatial discriminations (spatial interval discriminations, vernier offset discrimination, orientation discrimination, and stereoacuity) which are approximately an order of magnitude better than the minimum angle of resolution measured by Snellan or grating acuity. In addition to representing the finest measure of the human visual system's spatial resolving capacity, these hyperacuities (Westhemier 1975) or precise position acuities may offer a better method for the early identification of infants and young children with vision abnormalies. The proposed studies are designed to 1) investigatae the development of several hyperacuities over the first 6 years of life using behavioral techniques 2) develop better methods of clinically assessing visual function in infants and young children through behavioral measures of hyperacuity and 3) apply an electrophysiological technique, the visually evoked potential, to the study of the development of hyperacuity and its clinical assessment in infants and young children. Improvements in the clinical assessment of visual function in infants and young children through noninvasive behavioral and electrophysiological procedures will aid the clinician in early identification of vision anomalies and provide better methods for monitoring regimes.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY005113-04
Application #
3259943
Study Section
Visual Sciences B Study Section (VISB)
Project Start
1984-08-01
Project End
1988-09-29
Budget Start
1987-08-01
Budget End
1988-09-29
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Houston
Department
Type
Schools of Optometry/Opht Tech
DUNS #
800771594
City
Houston
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77204
Fern, K D; Manny, R E; Garza, R (1998) Screening for anisometropia in preschool children. Optom Vis Sci 75:407-23
Manny, R E; Fern, K D; Zervas, H J et al. (1993) 1% Cyclopentolate hydrochloride: another look at the time course of cycloplegia using an objective measure of the accommodative response. Optom Vis Sci 70:651-65
Ridder 3rd, W H; Smith 3rd, E L; Manny, R E et al. (1992) Effects of interocular suppression on spectral sensitivity. Optom Vis Sci 69:227-35
Manny, R E (1992) Orientation selectivity of 3-month-old infants. Vision Res 32:1817-28
Manny, R E; Fern, K D (1990) Motion coherence in infants. Vision Res 30:1319-29
Fern, K D (1989) Visual acuity outcome in isometropic hyperopia. Optom Vis Sci 66:649-58
Manny, R E (1988) The visually evoked potential in response to vernier offsets in infants. Hum Neurobiol 6:273-9
Manny, R E; Fern, K D; Loshin, D S (1987) Contour interaction function in the preschool child. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 64:686-92
Fern, K D; Manny, R E; Davis, J R et al. (1986) Contour interaction in the preschool child. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 63:313-8
Fern, K D; Manny, R E (1986) Visual acuity of the preschool child: a review. Am J Optom Physiol Opt 63:319-45

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