Associated depression in pseudophakic patients with intraocular lens with and without chromophore.
BACKGROUND
With aging, the crystalline lens turns yellowish, which increases the absorption of wavelengths in the blue electromagnetic spectrum, reducing their photoreception in the retina. Since these wavelengths are the main stimulus in the regulation of the circadian rhythm, progressive reduction in their transmission is associated with chronic sleep disturbances and depression in elderly patients. Cataract extraction improves circadian photoreception at any age. However, lenses that block blue waves have 27% to 38% less melatonin suppression than lenses that block only ultraviolet (UV) rays.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the depression symptoms in subjects who have had bilateral phacoemul-sification and intraocular lens (IOL) implants, one group with yellow chromophore IOLs and the other group with transparent IOLs were compared.


METHODS
Association to Prevent Blindness in Mexico (APEC), Hospital "Dr Luis Sánchez Bulnes".


METHODS
This was an observational, cross-sectional, and single-center study.


METHODS
Twenty-six subjects between 60 and 80 years of age, with a history of bilateral phacoemulsification and placement of the same type of IOL in both eyes from 4 to 12 months prior to the study, who attended the follow-up visits and agreed to participate in this study, and provided signed informed consent were included in the study. They were asked to answer the short version of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale.


RESULTS
The average age of the study participants was 72.5±5.94 years. The group without chromophore included 46.1% (n=12) of the patients and the group with chromophore included 53.9% (n=14) of the patients (P=0.088).


CONCLUSIONS
In the group of patients with IOLs that block the passage of blue light, the depression rate was 21.4%, a rate similar to that observed in the elderly population, whereas no patients in the group with transparent IOLs had depression.
Association to Prevent Blindness in Mexico (APEC), Hospital "Dr Luis Sánchez Bulnes", Mexico City, Mexico.
María Elena
ME
Mendoza-Mendieta
Association to Prevent Blindness in Mexico (APEC), Hospital "Dr Luis Sánchez Bulnes", Mexico City, Mexico.
Ana Aurora
AA
Lorenzo-Mejía
cataract; chromophore; depression; intraocular lens