Illinois Vision Certification Practice Test

What does the fusion element of the BRL test replace in the Massachusetts Battery?

1. Near vision test

2. Phoria test

3. Color test

4. Binocular acuity

The correct answer is: Phoria test

The fusion element of the BRL (Bifocal Reading Lens) test is designed to assess the ability of both eyes to work together effectively, which is critical for achieving proper binocular vision. In the context of the Massachusetts Battery, which includes a variety of tests for eye coordination and alignment, the phoria test specifically measures the tendency of the eyes to drift from proper alignment when the patient is focused on a single object. When the BRL test incorporates the fusion element, it substitutes the need for the phoria test by directly inspecting how well the visual system can maintain alignment and coordination during the process of reading with a bifocal lens. This focus on fusion evaluates not just the alignment of the eyes, but also their capacity to work in concert, providing crucial information about the efficiency of binocular function. Other tests included in the Massachusetts Battery, such as near vision tests, color tests, and binocular acuity tests, assess different aspects of visual performance and do not directly relate to the measurement of eye alignment as the phoria test does. Thus, the fusion element's role in replacing the phoria test emphasizes its importance in evaluating the coordination of visual inputs from both eyes in practical applications such as reading with bifocals.