Association of optical cataract indices with cataract severity and visual function

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Optics
• Clinical Measurement

Background:

• Cataract evaluation traditionally relies on subjective patient reports and objective grading scales.
• Objective optical measurements offer a quantifiable assessment of visual function and lens opacity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the correlation between subjective and optical measurements in cataract evaluation.
• To assess the relationship between iTrace Dysfunctional Lens Index (DLI), HD Analyzer Objective Scatter Index (OSI), Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III), Visual Function-14 Questionnaire (VF-14), and Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity Chart (PRCSC).

Main Methods:

• Seventy eyes with age-related nuclear cataracts were evaluated.
• Measurements included iTrace DLI, HD Analyzer OSI, LOCS III, VF-14, and PRCSC.
• Correlation analyses were performed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

Main Results:

• LOCS III-NO, DLI, OSI, and VF-14 showed moderate correlations with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
• DLI correlated with LOCS III-NO and VF-14.
• OSI correlated with contrast sensitivity and DLI, with the highest correlation observed between DLI and OSI.

Conclusions:

• DLI correlates with cataract symptoms (VF-14) and BCVA.
• OSI shows moderate correlation with contrast sensitivity and BCVA.
• DLI and OSI exhibit the strongest correlation, suggesting their utility in objective cataract assessment.