accommodative excess

A condition in which the subject exerts more accommodation than required for the visual stimulus, or is unable to relax accommodation. It may be due to uncorrected hyperopia, very prolonged near work, emotional problems, spasm of accommodation, uveitis, trigeminal neuralgia, syphilis, meningitis, head trauma, or the side effect of some pharmaceutical agent (e.g. a miotic drug). It is usually associated with convergence excess. The subject reports blurred vision at distance, asthenopia and often headaches. Treatment commonly includes plus lenses and facility exercises, besides therapy of the underlying cause. Syn. hyperaccommodation. Note: spasm of accommodation is one aspect of the general condition of accommodative excess, although some authors consider this term a synonym. See spasm of accommodation; accommodative facility; convergence excess.