Sex and gender optometry: from retinal design to stereopsis

Scientific research in optometry aims to increase the ability to predict optical effect induced by lens fitting, allowing us to understand how geometrical concepts and physical phenomena translate into perceptual responses. It is possible, for instance, to investigate how differential perspective affects three-dimensional perception, indeed the ocular parallax error, that occurs as the eyes are separated horizontally by a certain distance (DAV), allows the depth interval between two object points to be appreciated and transferred to the retina. In a study conducted at the University of Turin, the DAVs measured on a group of students were compared with the students’ stereo acuity values, with the aim of highlighting whether female subjects, whose DAVs are a smaller measure than those of men actually have less sense of depth. The measurement protocol and the results obtained will be explained. The research perspective is the parameterization of optometric tests to take into account differences due to gender, in order to detect any abnormalities more accurately.