City Research Online

Abstract

Background/aims
Some aspects of visual performance worsen with increasing myopia. Whilst the underlying causes are not always clear, reduction in retinal image quality is often attributed to structural changes in the posterior myopic eye. Forward light scatter, originating principally from the cornea and lens, is known to produce veiling glare which subsequently reduces retinal image contrast. It is therefore of interest to investigate whether forward light scatter varies with refractive error.

Methods
Thirteen young-adult subjects (18–25 years), with mean spherical errors (MSE ± sd, D) RE, − 1.69 ± 2.02 (range 0.38 to − 4.75); LE, − 1.91 ± 1.94 (range 0.50 to − 4.63) underwent binocular assessment of forward light scatter using the AVOT light scatter test. Five glare annuli, with effective eccentricities ranging from 2 to 10°, were used to estimate parameters, k and n, which define the light scatter function of the eye. These were then used to calculate the area under the light scatter function (k′) and the total volume of light scatter (k″).

Results
Significant correlation was found between increasing myopia and k′ values (RE, p < 0.05; r = 0.64; LE, p < 0.05, r = 0.66). Neither the ‘volume’ of light scatter (k″), the parameter, n, which controls the angular distribution of light scatter, or the straylight parameter constant, k, were significantly correlated with refractive error (p > 0.05 for both eyes). Axial length was also not correlated with any of the light scatter parameters measured.

Conclusion
The preliminary data from this study provide evidence that some light scatter parameters may be correlated with refractive error. Further studies are needed to characterize how changes in the anterior media of the eye, and inclusion of a wider range of refractive errors, may affect forward light scatter.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Publisher Keywords:	Refractive error; Forward light scatter; Retinal straylight; Myopia; Axial length
Subjects:	R Medicine > RE Ophthalmology
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Optometry & Visual Sciences
Related URLs:	Author
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

Export

Downloads