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Influence of age on ocular wavefront aberration changes with accommodation
Yoshihiko Iida1, Kimiya Shimizu, Misae Ito
1Department of Ophthalmology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. sparkle@crocus.ocn.ne.jp
Journal of Refractive Surgery (Thorofare, N.J. : 1995)
|September 25, 2008
Summary
Higher order aberrations, particularly spherical aberration, change with accommodation, with age-related differences observed in healthy eyes. These shifts are likely due to crystalline lens changes.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Optics
- Vision Science
Background:
- Accommodation is the eye's ability to change focus.
- Wavefront aberrations affect visual quality.
- Understanding age-related changes in ocular optics is crucial for vision correction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively analyze high-order wavefront aberrations during accommodation in healthy, emmetropic eyes.
- To investigate age-related differences in these aberrations.
Main Methods:
- Fifty-six healthy emmetropic eyes (ages 20-49) were grouped by age.
- iTrace ray-tracing technology measured pupil diameter and wavefront aberrations (0-4.00 D accommodation).
- Zernike polynomials analyzed higher-order aberrations, including spherical aberration (C4(0)).
Main Results:
- Pupil diameter decreased with accommodation across all age groups.
- Total higher-order aberrations and fourth-order aberrations increased significantly in the youngest group (20-29 years).
- Spherical aberration (C4(0)) shifted from positive to negative, with minimal shift in the oldest group (40-49 years).
Conclusions:
- Spherical aberration exhibits age-related changes during accommodation.
- These aberrations are influenced by age-related modifications of the crystalline lens.
- Understanding these dynamic changes is key for addressing age-related visual decline.
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