JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Traditional vision tests for young children are limited by their reliance on subjective feedback and narrow assessment scopes. This study introduces a novel, objective, gamified, eye-tracking-based contrast sensitivity function (ETGCSF) tool designed to overcome these challenges.

Objective:

To develop the ETGCSF, validate its reliability, and evaluate its efficiency in assessing contrast sensitivity in children.

Methods:

This study included 80 children aged 3 to 6 years recruited from the visual rehabilitation clinic at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center between May 2021 and July 2023. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the ETGCSF’s performance, with Experiment 2 incorporating enhanced gamified elements. The primary outcomes were the ETGCSF’s test-retest reliability.

Results:

In Experiment 1, 28 children completed the ETGCSF with a median test duration of 482 seconds. The ICCs for AULCSF and CSF acuity were 0.890 and 0.773, respectively, demonstrating excellent test-retest reliability. In Experiment 2, 52 children completed an enhanced ETGCSF with a significantly shorter median test duration of 241 seconds (P < .001) and comparable reliability (ICC for AULCSF: 0.851; ICC for CSF acuity: 0.824).

Conclusions:

The ETGCSF demonstrated strong reliability in measuring children contrast sensitivity function. Its gamified design enhances engagement, while its objective approach addresses key limitations of traditional methods. These findings highlight its potential as a practical tool for pediatric vision assessment and therapeutic effect monitoring, pending further validation in diverse populations and real-world settings.