Translucent vs. lightproof occluders
Reviewed by Fiona Rowe

This study investigates the change in visual acuity following occlusion in amblyopes and non-amblyopes using translucent versus lightproof occlusion of the dominant eye. Group 1 non-amblyopes consisted of 26 subjects: 16 visually normal and 10 strabismic or anisometropic subjects without amblyopia. Group 2 amblyopes consisted of 33 subjects: 14 strabismic, six anisometropic and 13 mixed amblyopes. The results indicate that the use of lightproof or translucent occlusion over the dominant eye during visual acuity testing of the non-dominant eye had no significant effect when comparing large groups of amblyopes and non-amblyopes and within each group. They found no overall detriment to using dark occlusion or improvement with translucent occlusion. However, a number of subjects in each group had an interocular effect of up to 0.15 logMAR. An increase was seen in interocular effect with eso deviations and abnormal retinal correspondence. Anisometropic amblyopia showed monocular improvement with lightproof occlusion. Strabismic amblyopia showed monocular improvement with translucent occlusion.

Interocular effect during visual acuity measurement with and without amblyopia.
Parkinson J, Sandusky H, Trembley F.
STRABISMUS
2013;21:67-73.