La stereopsis is the ability to perceive the images we capture in three dimensions by combining the information that comes through the two eyes in our brain.
The stereopsis test allows the ophthalmologist and the optometrist to detect if a person enjoys good vision in relief and depth.
Through this diagnostic tool you can determine the ability to see with both eyes at the same time and convert two images into a three-dimensional.
The stereopsis test is one of the tests used to examine binocular vision.
En Área Oftalmológica Avanzada We explain below what the stereopsis test is.
What is stereopsis?
The stereopsis test is used to measure the last and best degree of binocular vision, which is the ability that a person has to see with both eyes at the same time.
The highest degree of binocularity is known as stereoscopic vision.
For stereoscopic vision to occur, it is necessary for both eyes to function correctly and at the same time offer different images of the same object that are then converted by the brain into a single three-dimensional image.
The stereopsis test allows the optometrist and the ophthalmologist to analyze the two images displaced one from the other separately, which allows to measure the stereoscopic acuity.
How is the test performed?
The stereopsis test is very easy to perform. There are different types of tests to make a stereopsis, but the procedure is the same.
The test consists of showing the patient some pictures in which they must identify objects and test their vision in relief or depth while carrying out a series of actions ordered by the specialist.
Polarized glasses may be used to perform this test.
Types of tests
There are different types of stereopsis tests and the use of one or the other is determined by the age and condition of the patient.
The most used are the ones explained below.
Fly test
The test of the fly is one of the tests of stereopsis most used in children to measure the degree of depth. The test consists in asking the child to try to catch a fly.
Test of the circles
The patient should observe a sheet with numbered rhombuses that are inside circles. The person should indicate to the specialist which circles are out of plane.
Test E
For this test it is necessary that the patient wear polarized glasses. With the glasses on, the person should indicate to the specialist which side he sees the legs of the letter E in the different cases that are indicated.
random test
It is also necessary for the patient to wear polarized glasses to perform this test. The objective of the test is for the person to discover a series of geometric figures hidden in an image.
Values of stereopsis
Once the stereopsis test is performed, the results must be interpreted. It is considered that the stereopsis test yields normal values when the results of visual acuity stereoscopic approach 40 seconds of arc (40″).
Any result that throws some type of deficiency in the binocular vision can be associated to conditions like squint.
The stereopsis tests are part of the routine tests performed in ophthalmology and it is fundamental to diagnose the type of conditions that compromise binocular vision.
En Área Oftalmológica Avanzada We are experts in the realization of the stereopsis test, do not hesitate to ask us any unresolved questions.
