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This research aims to determine the role of vergence adaptation in maintaining heterophoria during normal binocular vision.

March 21, 2026

Vergence Adaptation Maintains Heterophoria in Normal Binocular Vision

Key Points

This research aims to determine the role of vergence adaptation in maintaining heterophoria during normal binocular vision.
Involved 30 nonstrabismic subjects wearing prisms to neutralize nearpoint heterophorias.
Monitored adaptation from prisms-created orthophoria back to habitual heterophoria.
Administered a symptom questionnaire to assess comfort in binocular vision.
27 out of 30 subjects adapted back to heterophoria after wearing the prisms.
Three subjects did not exhibit any adaptive response.
The results indicate that maintaining heterophoria is characteristic of comfortable binocular vision but is not strictly necessary.

Abstract

ABSTRACT This investigation sought to determine whether vergence adaptation serves to maintain orthophoria or heterophoria in normal binocular vision. While wearing prisms which neutralized their nearpoint (40 cm) hetero‐phorias, 27 of 30 nonstrabismic subjects adapted from their prismatically created orthophoria toward their habitual heterophoria. Three subjects showed no adaptive response. A symptom questionnaire distributed to these subjects determined that the maintenance of heterophoria by vergence adaptation is: (1) characteristic of normal and comfortable binocular vision, and (2) neither an entirely necessary nor sufficient condition for normal and comfortable binocular vision.

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Vergence Adaptation Maintains Heterophoria in Normal Binocular Vision

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