Visual Performance and High-Order Aberrations with Different Contact Lens Prototypes with Potential for Myopia Control

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Contact lenses (CLs) used for myopia control incorporate variable power distribution across the optic zone potentially creating degradation of the high-order aberrations. The present study aims to evaluate the retinal image quality and visual performance in three prototypes of CLs intended to control axial elongation of the eye before they are considered for clinical trials.

Methods

This is a non-dispensing cross-over, double-blind study where 30 right eyes of myopic subjects worn 3 multifocal test lenses and 1 monofocal control lens in random order. Lens 1 was a radial refractive gradient design (center distance) and Lens 2 and 3 center-near with an additional annular ring for near. Nominal add power was 2.00D, 1.50D, and 2.00D, respectively. Subjects had an age 21.96 ± 2.23 years [18–30] and mean spherical equivalent refraction M = −2.23 ± 1.50D [−0.75 to −5.50] with refractive astigmatism below −0.75D. Higher-order aberrations (HOA), glare formation (halo), high- and low-contrast LogMAR visual acuity (VA), and contrast sensitivity function (CSF) was measured under monocular conditions.

Results

All individual terms of HOA and total root mean square from 3rd to 8th order increased significantly with the 3 test lenses compared to control. Between test lenses, Lens 1 increased significantly the higher HOA compared with Lens 2 and Lens 3. Halo size was significantly larger with test lenses compared with control, with Lens 1 showing the largest. VA under high-contrast conditions was similar for all lenses. Under low-contrast conditions, Lens 1 and Lens 2 performed significantly worse than control (Bonferroni post hoc correction, p < 0.001). CSF was below normal limits with Lens 1 for 3 and 6 cpd spatial frequency but was not significantly different between test lenses and control.

Conclusions

Lenses with larger stabilized areas for distance vision interfere less with VA and induce lower values of HOA and image degradation.

KEYWORDS:

• Myopia progression
• multifocal contact lenses
• prototypes contact lenses
• visual performance
• high-order aberrations

Acknowledgments

We express our gratitude to Precilens for providing the lenses, without any interference with protocol design, results collection, analysis, or dissemination.

Declaration of interest

Jaume Pauné has proprietary interests in the devices discussed in this work. José M. González-Méijome has a proprietary interest in the light disturbance analyzer. Authors declare that they do not have any other conflict of interest with any of the materials mentioned in this article.

Additional information

Funding

This project was supported in part by Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the framework of project PTDC/FIS-OPT/0677/2014 and the FCT Strategic Funding UID/FIS/04650/2013.