A preliminary investigation into the effects of ocular lubricants on higher order aberrations in normal and dry eye subjects.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of ocular lubricants on higher order aberrations in normal and self-diagnosed dry eyes.


METHODS
Unpreserved hypromellose drops, Tears Again™ liposome spray and a combination of both were administered to the right eye of 24 normal and 24 dry eye subjects following classification according to a 5 point questionnaire. Total ocular higher order aberrations, coma, spherical aberration and Strehl ratios for higher order aberrations were measured using the Nidek OPD-Scan III (Nidek Technologies, Gamagori, Japan) at baseline, immediately after application and after 60 min. The aberration data were analyzed over a 5mm natural pupil using Zernike polynomials. Each intervention was assessed on a separate day and comfort levels were recorded before and after application. Corneal staining was assessed and product preference recorded after the final measurement for each intervention.


RESULTS
Hypromellose drops caused an increase in total higher order aberrations (p=<0.01 in normal and dry eyes) and a reduction in Strehl ratio (normal eyes: p=<0.01, dry eyes p=0.01) immediately after instillation. There were no significant differences between normal and self-diagnosed dry eyes for response to intervention and no improvement in visual quality or reduction in higher order aberrations after 60 min. Differences in comfort levels failed to reach statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Combining treatments does not offer any benefit over individual treatments in self-diagnosed dry eyes and no individual intervention reached statistical significance. Symptomatic subjects with dry eye and no corneal staining reported an improvement in comfort after using lubricants.
School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK.
Samantha
S
McGinnigle
School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK.
Frank
F
Eperjesi
School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, UK. Electronic address: s.a.naroo@aston.ac.uk.
Shehzad A
SA
Naroo
D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054327:Lubricants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012016:Reference Values; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014906:Wetting Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
D054327:Lubricants; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D014906:Wetting Agents
Dry eye; High order aberrations; Lubricants