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Optical aberrations and alignment of the eye with age
Esther Berrio1, Juan Tabernero, Pablo Artal
1Laboratorio de Optica, Departamento de Física, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo (Edificio CiOyN), Murcia, Spain. mberriol@um.es
Journal of Vision
|January 4, 2011
Summary
As people age, ocular aberrations increase due to changes in the crystalline lens, not alignment. This research quanties age-related vision changes and their causes.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Optics
- Vision Science
Background:
- Normal aging affects ocular optics.
- Understanding age-related changes in aberrations is crucial for vision correction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in ocular, corneal, and internal aberrations.
- To determine the role of ocular alignment and crystalline lens shape in aberration balance.
Main Methods:
- Measured ocular and corneal aberrations and angle kappa in 46 eyes (ages 20-77) with low refractive errors.
- Utilized a 5-mm pupil diameter for measurements.
- Analyzed age-related trends in aberration magnitudes and optical alignment.
Main Results:
- Higher-order ocular and corneal aberrations (RMS) increased with age (0.0032 μm/year and 0.0015 μm/year, respectively).
- Internal surface compensation of aberrations decreased with age.
- Ocular spherical aberration and horizontal coma increased with age, linked to crystalline lens shape changes, not angle kappa variations.
Conclusions:
- Geometrical changes in the crystalline lens with age alter its aberration structure.
- Reduced aberration compensation by the aging crystalline lens significantly contributes to increased ocular aberrations.
- Ocular alignment (angle kappa) does not significantly change with age and is not the primary driver of increased aberrations.
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