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Higher order aberrations and retinal image quality during short-term accommodation in children
Rohan P J Hughes1, Scott A Read1, Michael J Collins1
1Queensland University of Technology, Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, Centre for Vision and Eye Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Vision Research
|July 22, 2021
Summary
Higher order aberrations (HOA's) and image quality worsen in children's eyes during accommodation. This study examined HOA's and visual Strehl ratio in school-aged children during accommodation tasks.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Optometry
- Pediatric Eye Care
Background:
- Changes in higher order aberrations (HOA's) and retinal image quality during accommodation are not well understood in children.
- Accommodation is crucial for clear vision, especially during near work, and its impact on ocular optics in pediatric populations requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure ocular HOA's and retinal image quality in non-myopic children during various accommodation demands.
- To analyze changes in refractive power, accommodation errors, HOA's, and visual Strehl ratio (VSOTF) with increasing accommodative effort.
Main Methods:
- Ninety non-myopic school-aged children underwent accommodation tasks (0-9 D) using a Badal optometer and Hartmann-Shack aberrometer.
- Ocular aberrations were analyzed using Zernike polynomial fitting across different pupil sizes (2.3mm, 4mm, natural).
- Measurements included HOA root mean square (RMS), individual Zernike coefficients, and VSOTF.
Main Results:
- All HOA RMS variables significantly changed with accommodation, peaking at 9 D demand.
- Primary and secondary spherical aberrations showed the largest changes with increasing accommodation.
- Visual Strehl ratio (VSOTF) significantly decreased at higher accommodation levels (9 D), indicating reduced retinal image quality.
Conclusions:
- Higher order aberrations increase, and retinal image quality decreases significantly in children during higher accommodation, mirroring adult responses.
- Findings enhance understanding of pediatric ocular optics and potential links between accommodation, near work, and refractive error development.
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