Objective:
To explore the visuospatial memory characteristics of school-age children with exotropia and to analyze associated factors.
Methods:
Based on a case-control study,45 exotropia children aged 8-12 years and 45 normal control children were recruited from 2017-2019. The "tapping test" was used to evaluate the visuospatial short-term and working memory of children.
Results:
There was no significant differences in the scores of visuospatial short-term memory between the exotropia group and the control group [(7.64±1.69)(8.00±1.66),t=-1.00,P=0.32)]. The scores of visuospatial working memory in the control group were higher than those in the exotropia group [(5.98±1.23)(6.80±1.53),t=-2.81,P=0.01)]. In the reverse tapping test,the better the near stereopsis was,the higher the score was (B=0.78,95%CI=0.23-1.33,P=0.01),and the constant exotropia children performed better than the intermittent exotropia children(B=1.25,95%CI=0.16-2.24,P=0.03).
Conclusion
Visuospatial working memory is impaired in school-age children with exotropia,and the visuospatial working memory of exotropia children is affected by the near stereopsis and exotropia constancy.