Cardiff Acuity Test
Preferential looking test used to assess visual acuity in preverbal children using vanishing optotype cards.
Full Definition
The Cardiff Acuity Test is a clinical assessment tool designed to measure visual acuity in infants and young children who cannot yet respond to traditional letter charts. The test uses preferential looking behavior, presenting cards with a picture (fish, house, car, or duck) that gradually vanishes into a gray background. The child's natural tendency to look at patterned stimuli rather than plain backgrounds allows clinicians to determine the finest detail the child can see. This test is particularly valuable for detecting amblyopia and refractive errors in preverbal patients and provides more accurate results than other preferential looking tests.
Usage
Usage note: Should be capitalized as it refers to the specific test developed at Cardiff University.
In Context
- "The Cardiff Acuity Test revealed significantly reduced acuity in the left eye, suggesting unilateral amblyopia." — pediatric eye examination report
- "At 18 months of age, the Cardiff Acuity Test is the most appropriate method for objective acuity assessment." — clinical protocol