Reproducibility of the Dunlop Test for Motor Ocular Dominance Stability Among Young Saudi Females

Abstract Background: Dunlop test is reliable for assessing ocular dominance, however, its reproducibility never been tested. Aim of Study: To determine the reproducibility of the Dunlop test for determination of ocular dominant stability and the effects of visual fatigue among young Saudi female. Subjects and Methods: Fifty-three healthy females (range, 19-23 years) were assessed for sighting and motor ocular dominance using the hole-in-the-card test and Dunlop test, respectively. The Dunlop test was assessed twice in two different visits and was repeated the third time for a subgroup at the week's end to assess the effect of visual fatigue on stability of ocular dominance by using the visual discomfort scores (VDCS). Results: The mean (±  standard deviation) logMAR visual acuity was similar for the right and left eyes. A significant proportion of the participants were right handed with right sighting eye dominance. There was no significant agreement between writing hand and sighting eye dominance; however, the Dunlop test results were in agreement with the hole-in-the-card test results. In total, 85% of the participants with right eye dominance on the Dunlop test had right sighting eye dominance. In total, 55.6% of those who had left motor eye dominance had left sighting eye dominance. Overall, 75.5% showed same eye dominance using both tests. Of the partici-pants who showed right eye dominance in visit 1, all but one participant (93%) showed the same eye dominance in visit 2, thus indicating a strong agreement between motor ocular dominance in the two visits. The mean VDCS was significantly greater in visit 3 than in visits 1 and 2. Conclusion: The sighting eye of female Saudi adults match their dominant hand in a majority of cases. Clinicians should be aware that the dominant eye for the same individual may differ depending on the test used. The stability of motor ocular dominance is unaffected by visual fatigue and the Dunlop test gives reproducible results for ocular dominance determination.