Depth Perception Test

What is a depth perception test?

A depth perception test checks if you see the world in three dimensions (3D) and how well you judge depth and distance. It determines if your eyes can work together and if your brain can process what you see correctly. A depth perception test can be a part of a standard eye exam, or a standalone test if you might have a depth perception issue.

Depth perception testing can be especially important for children with eye misalignment conditions like crossed eyes (strabismus) and lazy eye (amblyopia). That’s because testing can detect those conditions before the misalignment is severe enough for others to see easily, which is when those conditions are easier to treat.

Testing depth perception during early childhood is critical because some issues that disrupt depth perception can have lifelong consequences when not treated. One such condition, lazy eye (amblyopia), can lead to permanent loss of depth perception and poorer eyesight if it isn’t corrected early enough. That can affect how a child does in school, the careers they can pursue as adults and more.

How does depth perception testing work?

There are multiple ways an eye care specialist, such as an optometrist or ophthalmologist, can test your depth perception (or the depth perception of your child or a child you care for). While there are several different tests, they all rely on similar principles. The methods are noninvasive and painless, and pupil dilation (mydriasis) isn’t a requirement for doing these tests.

Depth perception tests include:

• Special devices. There are many devices specially designed to show each of your eyes a different picture. These devices rely on your brain’s ability to combine the input from each eye.
• Polarization. Special glasses and/or printing methods can make your eyes see images a certain way. If you look at the image from the correct angle and have 3D vision, the image will appear to have depth. If you don’t have 3D vision or look from the wrong angle, the image will look flat.
• Binocular challenge. Using this method, an eye care specialist can simultaneously show your eyes different images or patterns.
• True depth. Some depth perception tests use physical items with depth differences instead of a picture on a screen.

What should I expect before depth perception testing?

Depth perception testing doesn’t need special preparation. It usually happens in a standard medical office setting for adults. For children, it may happen in a school setting. Once the test is over, you can return to your usual activities and routine.

What should I expect during depth perception testing?

Depth perception testing usually takes no more than 15 minutes on its own. If it’s part of an eye exam, the entire process for the exam, including depth perception testing, may take up to 90 minutes (but usually no more than an hour).

There are several different specific tests that eye care specialists can use. Some involve specially printed books that you look at while wearing special glasses. Others involve physical objects. And there are even some methods that involve special electronic devices.

These tests can sometimes vary depending on the age of the person taking them. Some tests are best for very young children, even those under 1 year old. Others are suitable for all ages. Your eye care specialist (or your child’s specialist) can tell you more about specific tests they want to use and why.

What are the risks or side effects of depth perception testing?

Depth perception testing has no risks or side effects. The tests themselves are also painless.

What type of results do you get and what do the results mean?

An eye care specialist can tell you your results immediately after you finish a depth perception test. They’ll be able to tell you if you have depth perception, or if you have any limitations or lack any depth perception ability.

If depth perception testing finds a problem, what are the next steps?

If you lack depth perception, the next steps depend on what’s causing it. Your eye care specialist will tell you about treatment options — if available and necessary — and which they recommend.

Many people have depth perception problems that started very early in life. For those individuals, it’s likely to pose less of a problem. They automatically compensate using other cues, like shadows or watching how movement changes an object’s appearance.

If you develop depth perception issues later in life, it might feel like you’re relearning how to do certain things. Be patient with yourself and give yourself time to adapt. Most people with problems with depth perception that started later in life learn to adapt. Your eye care specialist can also help you learn ways to recognize distance without having depth perception.