LATERALITY IN EYE DOMINANCE, EYE ACUITY AND HANDEDNESS AMONG YOUNG UNDERGRADUATES IN BENIN CITY

Abstract

Eye or ocular dominance is the superiority of one eye whose visual function predominates over the other. Acuity dominance is a situation where the visual acuity in one eye is better than the other eye without an underlying pathology. The aim of this study was to determine if any laterality exist among these variables. This was a cross sectional study. The study comprised of 100 subjects, 55 males and 45 females within the age range of 18-35 years (mean age 25 ±1.77). All subjects were from Ugbowo and Ekehuan campuses of the University of Benin City. Distant visual acuity was measured using the Snellen?s chart. The miles test was used to determine eye dominance, while handedness was recorded by observing subjects as they picked up a pen to write. Among the study population, 63% had the right eye as the better visual acuity (BVA) eye, of this 54% had laterality with the dominant eye. This was statistically significant, (X2 =10.240, p=0.01). Also, 66% of the study population had laterality of BVA eye with handedness. Of this, 57% showed right side laterality while 9% showed left side laterality. This was statistically significant, (X2=9.000, p=0.002). Right eye dominance was recorded in 78% of the study population, of this 70% showed laterality with right handedness. Of the 22% with left eye dominance, only 7% showed laterality with left handedness. This was also statistically significant, (X2 =32.511, p=0.000). There was also no statistical significance between the studied variables and gender