title: Subjective and objective measurement of human accommodative amplitude.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess objective and subjective methods to measure accommodation in a young human population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Research laboratory, University of Houston, College of Optometry, Houston, Texas, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Accommodation was measured in the right eye of 15 young subjects (9 women and 6 men) whose ages ranged from 23 to 28 years and 1 36-year-old subject. The mean age of all subjects was 26 years. Accommodation was stimulated and measured with 4 techniques. Two subjective measures (focometer and minus-lens procedures) were used. Accommodation was also stimulated with minus-lens-induced blur and with pilocarpine 6% and measured objectively with a Hartinger coincidence refractometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Accommodative amplitudes measured with the 2 subjective methods agreed with each other but differed from the objectively measured amplitudes. Objectively measured accommodative amplitudes were similar in all subjects, with a mean of about 7.0 diopters. Accommodation stimulated with pilocarpine reached a maximum 33 minutes after administration. Individuals with light irides showed a stronger accommodative response to pilocarpine than subjects with dark irides.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjective measures of accommodation tend to overestimate true accommodative amplitude. Methods exist to measure accommodation objectively. These include stimulating accommodation with trial lenses or pilocarpine 6% and measuring the accommodative response with an objective optometer such as a Hartinger coincidence refractometer. Objective measures of accommodation should be used to determine whether accommodation can be restored in presbyopes.
authors: College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors: Jon E
authors: JE
authors: Wold
authors: Annie
authors: A
authors: Hu
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Chen
authors: Adrian
authors: A
authors: Glasser
mesh_terms: D000065:Accommodation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D003941:Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008916:Miotics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010862:Pilocarpine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011680:Pupil / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D008916:Miotics; D010862:Pilocarpine