What is the term for a condition that causes abnormal perception or acuity in one eye more than the other?

• A. Amblyopia
• B. Presbyopia
• C. Strabismus
• D. Astigmatism

Answer: (A)

Amblyopia is a decreased vision in one eye that develops during early childhood when the brain starts to ignore input from that eye, so the eye’s perception or acuity seems abnormal compared with the other eye. This neural suppression means the reduced vision isn’t fully correctable by glasses alone, even though the eye itself may look normal. It often arises when the eyes don’t align properly (strabismus) or when there’s a big difference in refractive error between the eyes, or when one eye’s view is blocked or blurred, preventing normal visual development. Early detection matters because treatment—such as patching the stronger eye, penalization therapy, or correcting refractive errors—can encourage the brain to use the weaker eye and improve vision. This isn’t describing presbyopia, which is age-related difficulty focusing on near tasks; nor is it simply the eye misalignment of strabismus (though misalignment can lead to amblyopia); nor is it specifically astigmatism, which is a refractive error that can affect vision in both eyes rather than causing one-eye-dominant reduction.