Quantification of ocular dominance for better management of eye disease

Introduction. - The dominant eye is defined as the one we unconsciously choose when we have to perform monocular tasks. In the field of clinical neuro-ophthalmology, it is well-established that ocular dominance plays a key role in several eye diseases. Furthermore, the accurate quantification of ocular dominance is crucial with regard to certain surgical techniques. However, classical preoperative tests cannot determine the amount of ocular dominance. Materials and methods. - In order to obtain further insight into the phenomenon of ocular dominance, we study its influence at behavioral and neurophysiological levels (experiments 1 and 2). Based on these new data, we suggest a method to improve quantification of ocular dominance (experiment 3). Results. - We demonstrate that ocular dominance has an influence on hand movements and on interhemispheric transfer time. Moreover, we show that an analysis of the dynamics of saccades allows us to sort out participants with strong or weak ocular dominance. Conclusion. - In conclusion, this better understanding of the phenomenon of ocular dominance, coupled with the analysis of saccadic dynamics, might, in the short or medium term, lead to the establishment of a quick and straightforward battery of tests allowing determination of the amount of ocular dominance for each patient. (C) 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.