A preliminary in vivo assessment of higher-order aberrations induced by a silicone hydrogel monofocal contact lens.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of negatively powered soft contact lenses on ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs).


METHODS
HOA measurements were performed with fixed optical zones of 4.0 and 6.0 mm on 20 eyes of 10 participants before and minutes after wearing extended-wear Focus NIGHT & DAY contact lenses. For each eye, three contact lens powers were used: -2.00 diopters (D), -4.00 D, and a power equal to the spherical equivalent of each eye.


RESULTS
The change in spherical aberration was highly correlated with the change in negative power of the contact lens at an optical zone of 4 and 6 mm (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.914 and 0.743, respectively, P<0.0001). Total HOAs had a weaker but important correlation at an optical zone of 6 mm (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.470, P=0.037) and insignificant correlation at an optical zone of 4 mm. Coma and trefoil were poorly correlated with contact lens power in either optical zone. Compared to the control using both optical zones, the -2.00 D contact lens resulted in a significant increase in total HOAs and spherical aberration, whereas the -6.00 D lens yielded a marked decrease in spherical aberration and a mild, statistically insignificant increase in total HOAs. Both contact lens powers yielded larger ocular coma and unchanged trefoil levels. The change from induction to reduction of spherical aberration occurred at -4.00 D.


CONCLUSIONS
The Focus NIGHT & DAY lens vehicle harbors positive spherical aberration and coma, independently of the lens power. The negative power of contact lenses induces negative spherical aberration, which, at large values, compensates for the lens vehicle positive spherical aberration to produce a net negative spherical aberration.
Awwad
Shady T
ST
Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75390-9057, USA.
Sanchez
Paul
P
Sanchez
Angela
A
McCulley
James P
JP
Cavanagh
H Dwight
HD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003262:Contact Lenses, Extended-Wear / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012826:Silicone Elastomers
D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate