title: End-of-day dryness, corneal sensitivity and blink rate in contact lens wearers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the relationship among the variables intensity of the end-of-day (EOD) dryness, corneal sensitivity and blink rate in soft contact lens (CL) wearers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight soft CL wearers (25 women and 13 men; mean age 27.1±7.2 years) were enrolled. EOD dryness was assessed using a scale of 0-5 (0, none to 5, very intense). Mechanical and thermal (heat and cold) sensitivity were measured using a Belmonte's gas esthesiometer. The blink rate was recorded using a video camera while subjects were wearing a hydrogel CL and watching a film for 90 min in a controlled environmental chamber.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant inverse correlation was found between EOD dryness and mechanical sensitivity (r: -0.39; p=0.02); however, there were no significant correlations between EOD dryness and thermal sensitivity. A significant (r: 0.56; p<0.001) correlation also was observed between EOD dryness and blink rate, but no correlations were found between blink rate and mechanical or thermal sensitivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CL wearers with higher corneal sensitivity to mechanical stimulation reported more EOD dryness with habitual CL wear. Moreover, subjects reporting more EOD dryness had an increased blink rates during wear of a standard CL type. The increased blink rate could act to improve the ocular surface environment and relieve symptoms.
authors: Ocular Surface Group, IOBA, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain; CIBER-BBN (Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine), Spain.
authors: Vicente
authors: V
authors: Martín-Montañez
authors: Ocular Surface Group, IOBA, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: López-de la Rosa
authors: Ocular Surface Group, IOBA, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain; VISION I+D, SL, Valladolid, Spain.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: López-Miguel
authors: Ocular Surface Group, IOBA, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain; CIBER-BBN (Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine), Spain.
authors: José
authors: J
authors: Pinto-Fraga
authors: Clinical and Experimental Optometry Research Laboratory, Center of Physics, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
authors: José M
authors: JM
authors: González-Méijome
authors: Ocular Surface Group, IOBA, Universidad de Valladolid, Spain; CIBER-BBN (Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine), Spain. Electronic address: mjgonzalez@ioba.med.uva.es.
authors: María J
authors: MJ
authors: González-García
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology*; D003263:Contact Lenses, Hydrophilic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003315:Cornea / Q000294:innervation*; D015352:Dry Eye Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Blink rate; Contact lens; Corneal sensitivity; Dryness; Symptoms