Wavefront sensing and the dynamics of tear film.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize our previous studies regarding the influence of tear-film dynamics on optical quality after blinking.


METHODS
Sequential higher-order aberration (HOA) measurements were performed by using a wavefront sensor. During the measurements, subjects were asked to blink every 10 seconds. The obtained aberration data were analyzed in the central 4-mm diameter for coma-like, spherical-like, and total HOAs up to the sixth-order Zernike polynomials.


RESULTS
Serial measurements of HOAs in healthy eyes showed variations even in clinically normal subjects and were classified into 4 groups by pattern: stable, small-fluctuation, sawtooth, and others. The sequential postblink change in HOAs after punctal plug insertion was quantitatively evaluated in a patient with dry eye who complained of paradoxical visual impairment with epiphora despite improvement of dry eye.


CONCLUSIONS
Wavefront sensing is a useful objective method to evaluate sequential changes of visual performance related to tear-film dynamics. Serial measurement of HOAs might show a relationship between tear dynamics and quality of vision clinically.
Koh
Shizuka
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Medical School, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita 565-0871, Japan. cizciz@gmail.com
Maeda
Naoyuki
N
D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D012677:Sensation / Q000502:physiology*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013666:Tears / Q000378:metabolism*