Alternatives to Snellen Acuity Testing in Pediatric Patients

Abstract

Since the visual acuity of many pediatric patients cannot be tested with standard Snellen charts other techniques have been developed. This review focuses on the advantages and disadvantages of using optokinetic nystagmus (OKN), pattern visual evoked potentials (VEP) and forced-choice preferential looking (FPL) to estimate “acuity” in pediatric patients. The question of how the results of these tests relate to Snellen acuity is addressed and examples of “fast” versions of the VEP and FPL testing are given.

• acuity
• visually evoked potentials
• preferential looking
• optokinetic nystagmus
• amblyopia
• VEP
• PL
• OKN