Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between phoria and the dynamics of vergence eye movements as described by the ratio of convergence average peak velocity to divergence average peak velocity, termed the vergence peak velocity ratio.
Methods: Phoria and vergence step responses were recorded. Three measures of phoria were assessed: baseline phoria, which is the initial phoria measurement; adapted phoria, which is the phoria measured after a visual task; and change in phoria, which is defined as adapted phoria minus baseline phoria. Phoria was modified in two experiments: vergence steps located at different initial positions and different sustained convergent fixations. Four linear regression analyses were conducted to study the interactions among baseline phoria and vergence peak velocity ratio, adapted phoria and vergence peak velocity ratio, baseline and adapted phoria, and baseline phoria and change in phoria.
Results: Baseline and adapted phoria were significantly correlated to vergence peak velocity ratio. Adapted phoria and baseline phoria were also significantly correlated. The change in phoria induced by the vergence steps or a sustained fixation task was independent of the baseline phoria.
Conclusions: These data support that phoria is a factor in the asymmetry between peak velocity of convergence and divergence and that baseline phoria level is not a factor in the amount of change observed in phoria level (adapted phoria minus baseline phoria). Future oculomotor models of vergence should incorporate phoria within the design.