Noninvasive tear breakup times and ocular surface disease.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the correlation between the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) Questionnaire and noninvasive tear breakup times (NITBUTs) obtained by the Keratograph 4 (Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany) device.


METHODS
A prospective sequential study of subjects (N = 99) unmatched for sex and without a significant difference in age by sex was performed. Testing included administration of OSDI, followed by Keratograph 4 measurements of the first NITBUT (NITBUT(f)) and average NITBUT (NITBUT(av)).


RESULTS
The NITBUT(f) was significantly shorter than NITBUT(av), as tested by Mann-Whitney statistic (U = 7331.5, <0.0001). The NITBUT(f) and NITBUT(av) demonstrated identical statistically significant Spearman correlations with OSDI (r(s) = -0.20, p = 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Ocular Surface Disease Index and NITBUT testing by Keratograph 4 device demonstrate a weak, but statistically significant, negative correlation.
*OD, FAAO †BS ‡OD, PhD The Eye Center, Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, Tennessee (DGF, JK); and Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, Tennessee (KP).
Daniel G
DG
Fuller
Katlyn
K
Potts
Jeung
J
Kim
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003316:Corneal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013666:Tears / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult