title: Crystalline lens optical dysfunction through aging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the optical and densitometric changes that take place in the crystalline lens with aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two eyes of 72 patients of different ages (8-80 years) with a clear lens, a visual acuity of 20/25 or better, and no ocular disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  In each case, the lens thickness, optical density, modulation transfer function (MTF), and intraocular aberrations were measured.
  
  
  METHODS
  Embryonic and fetal nucleus density, lens thickness, intraocular high-order aberration (HOA), and 0.1 MTF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Embryonic, anterior, and posterior fetal nucleus densities show a positive correlation with age (P<0.0001, P<0.0001, and P<0.0001, respectively). Lens thickness also shows a positive correlation with age (P<0.0001). Total ocular and corneal HOAs for a 6-mm pupil show a positive correlation with age (P = 0.036 and P<0.0001, respectively). Ocular and corneal Zernike polynomials Z4i+Z6i and intraocular spherical aberration (Z4(0)) also show a positive correlation with age (P = 0.001, P = 0.039, and P = 0.001, respectively). Intraocular coma aberration (Z3(-1)) shows a negative linear correlation with age (P<0.0001). In addition, 0.1 MTF decreased with age from 18.557 to 10.100 cycles per degree.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a degradation of the optical quality of the crystalline lens with aging that is associated with morphological changes (thickness and density). These results are important for the consideration of lens replacement in the absence of evident cataract.
authors.affiliation: Research, Development, and Innovation Department, VISSUM, Instituto Oftalmológico de Alicante, Alicante, Spain. jlalio@vissum.com
authors.forename: Jorge L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Alió
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schimchak
authors.forename: Herminio P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montés-Micó
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003720:Densitometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology