Proximal vergence and age

A number of previous investigations have suggested that the relative contribution of proximal vergence to the overall vergence response may increase with age. Accordingly the present study has examined the proximal convergence/test distance (PC/T) ratio in a clinical population of 106 subjects ranging from 6 to 47 years of age. PC/T was assessed by comparing accommodative convergence/accommodative stimulus (AC/As) ratios obtained using the gradient and heterophoria techniques. With the former method, the stimulus to accommodation was produced optically using spherical lenses whereas in the latter technique, the change in accommodative stimulus arose from variation in actual target distance. The difference between these two measurements of AC/As reflected the output of proximal vergence. No significant variation in PC/T was observed with increasing age. It is proposed that increased disparity-vergence, rather than proximal vergence, is more likely to compensate for any age-related decline in AC.