title: Effects of a blue light-filtering intraocular lens on driving safety in glare conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether the previously established benefit of blue light-filtering intraocular lenses (IOLs) when driving in glare conditions is maintained in patients previously implanted with a blue light-filtering toric IOL.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Applied Psychology, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Comparative case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised patients with a blue light-filtering toric IOL (test IOL) or an ultraviolet (UV)-only filtering nontoric IOL (control IOL). All patients had good visual acuity and a valid driver's license. While wearing best spherocylindrical correction, patients performed left-turn maneuvers in front of oncoming traffic in a driving simulator. The safety margin was defined as the time to collision less the time taken to turn at an intersection with oncoming traffic. Measures were repeated with a glare source simulating low-angle sun conditions (daytime driving).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 33 evaluable patients, 18 had a test IOL and 15 had a control IOL. In the presence of glare, patients with test IOLs had significantly greater safety margins (mean 2.676 seconds ± 0.438 [SD]) than patients with control IOLs (mean 2.179 ± 0.343 seconds) and significantly lower glare susceptibility (P<.05). In no-glare and glare conditions, patients with test IOLs had significantly lower glare susceptibility than patients with control IOLs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The blue light-filtering toric IOL produced a significantly greater reduction in glare disability than the UV-only filtering nontoric IOL and increased the ability of drivers to safely execute left turns in low-sun conditions.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Dr. Houtman is an employee of Alcon Laboratories, Inc. No other author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
authors.affiliation: School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom. r.gray.2@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Brooke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neuman
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Houtman
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Potvin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001334:Automobile Driving; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019466:Glare; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D061214:Patient Safety; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019591:Pseudophakia / Q000503:physiopathology; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology