Ocular higher-order aberrations in eyes with supernormal vision.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Vision Science

Background:

• Supernormal vision, defined as uncorrected visual acuity of 20/15 or better, is a rare phenomenon.
• Understanding the optical quality of eyes with supernormal vision is crucial for advancing ophthalmic knowledge.
• Ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs) significantly impact visual quality beyond refractive error.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify ocular HOAs in eyes with natural supernormal vision (UCVA ≥ 20/15).
• To analyze the correlation between ocular HOAs and age in this population.
• To investigate the correlation of HOAs between the right and left eyes.

Main Methods:

• An observational case series involving 35 subjects (70 eyes) with UCVA ≥ 20/15.
• Ocular HOAs were measured using a Nidek OPD scan wavefront aberrometer under natural pupil dilation (≥ 6.0 mm).
• Root-mean-square (RMS) values for HOA, total spherical aberration (TSA), total coma (TC), and total trefoil (TT) were analyzed. Correlation analyses were performed for age and inter-eye comparisons.

Main Results:

• Mean RMS values for HOA, TSA, TC, and TT were determined.
• No significant differences in HOA, TSA, TC, or TT were found between right and left eyes.
• A strong positive correlation was observed for TSA between eyes (r=0.764, P<.0001), but not for HOA, TC, or TT. No significant correlation was found between aberrations and age.

Conclusions:

• Ocular HOAs in individuals with natural supernormal vision are substantial.
• The magnitude of HOAs in supernormal vision eyes is comparable to that reported in myopic eyes.
• Age and inter-eye symmetry do not appear to be significant factors influencing HOAs in this cohort.