Accuracy and accommodation capability of a handheld autorefractor.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the accuracy of measurement by the Nikon Retinomax handheld autorefractor and its ability to relax accommodation.


METHODS
Pediatric Section, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Mainz, Germany.


METHODS
To perform a series of comparative measurements, autorefractor readings were obtained on healthy young adults (students) and on children aged 2 to 12 years. The autorefractor readings were compared with subjective refractions of the young adults and with cycloplegic retinoscopy of the children.


RESULTS
In adults, the accuracy of the handheld autorefractor measurements was comparable to that of conventional tabletop autorefractors. In children, the autorefractor measurements performed under cycloplegia were reliable; when cycloplegic agents were not administered, 24% were overcorrected by more than -2.0 diopters.


CONCLUSIONS
Cycloplegia is often necessary to obtain accurate autorefractor results.
Wesemann
W
W
School of Optometry (HFAK), Cologne, Germany.
Dick
B
B
D000065:Accommodation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D006801:Humans; D012016:Reference Values; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000175:diagnosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000295:instrumentation*