A pilot study investigating immediate effects of vergence training on binocular function and reaction time in youth badminton athletes

Abstract

Abstract This pilot study examined the immediate effects of a single session of vergence training using automatic dual-rotational Risley prisms (ADRRPs) on binocular visual function and reaction time in youth badminton athletes. Twenty-six participants were randomly assigned to a visual training (VT) group ( n  = 16) or a control group ( n  = 10). After a 15-minute ADRRPs session, the VT group showed greater short-term improvements in vergence facility (VF) and accommodative facility (AF) than the control group, and a reduction in reaction time was also observed. Other parameters, including amplitude of accommodation (AA), near point of convergence (NPC), and positive fusional vergence (PFV), showed minimal or non-significant changes, suggesting limited short-term oculomotor adaptation. These findings indicate that brief, automated vergence interventions may be feasible for enhancing specific visual functions and visuomotor responsiveness in athletes. However, given the small and uneven sample together with the short-term design, these preliminary results should be interpreted cautiously, and larger, longer-term studies are warranted.