Visual performance with multifocal contact lenses and progressive addition spectacles

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Vision Science

Background:

• Presbyopia necessitates clear vision at multiple distances.
• Progressive addition lenses (PAL) spectacles are a common correction for presbyopia.
• Multifocal contact lenses offer an alternative correction without spectacle-related visual distortions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the visual performance of multifocal contact lenses and PAL spectacles.
• To evaluate patient preference between multifocal contact lenses and PAL spectacles for everyday tasks.

Main Methods:

• Subjects completed visual performance tasks (e.g., timing, search, acuity) wearing habitual PAL spectacles.
• Subjects were then fitted with multifocal contact lenses and re-tested after a 2-week adaptation period.
• A preference survey assessed subjective experiences with both correction types during daily activities.

Main Results:

• Visual performance was largely equivalent between PAL spectacles and multifocal contact lenses (P < 0.05).
• Multifocal contact lenses were preferred by patients overall in the preference survey.

Conclusions:

• Multifocal contact lenses provide functional vision performance comparable to PAL spectacles.
• Patient preference suggests multifocal contact lenses are a favorable option for presbyopic correction.