Effect of Different Spectral Power Distributions on Mesopic Visual Performance with Blue Light-filtering Intraocular Lens

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this work is to analyze the interaction between the spectral transmittance of old-aged subjects, before and after cataract surgery and blue light-filtering intraocular lens implantation, and the spectral power distribution of common street lamps, under conditions typical of nighttime driving. We analyzed contrast threshold and visual reaction time in off-axis vision at different mesopic illumination conditions provided by high-pressure sodium and metal halide lamps. Three groups of subjects with different spectral transmittances participated: young subjects as control group, old-aged subjects with senile cataracts and the same subjects after cataract surgery and blue light-filtering IOL implantation. A clear interaction appears between the spectral power distribution and the spectral transmittance, depending on the visual task. Transparent ocular media allow benefiting from the greater short-wavelength content of the halide lamp. However, cataracts increase contrast threshold and visual reaction time values and also affects how the spectral power distribution influences these visual tasks. After surgery and intraocular lens implantation, visual performance improves for both lamps and the blue light-filter seems to influence spectral transmittance, which affects visual performance under light provided by greater short-wavelength content lamps. Cataract surgery is responsible for an improvement in contrast threshold and visual reaction time tasks, though blue light-filtering of the intraocular lens seems to prevent the visual system from benefiting from lamps with greater emission at short wavelengths.

KEYWORDS:

• Blue light-filtering
• intraocular lens
• lamp
• mesopic
• spectral transmittance

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) (FIS2016-78037-P), Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (PICT2016-3312) and to the Fondo Social Europeo, Iniciativa de Empleo Juvenil and Junta de Castilla y León. In addition to the Recognized Research Group ‘Técnicas Ópticas de Diagnóstico,’ from the Universidad de Valladolid.

Dr. Juan Aparicio (Apa) passed away during the performance of this experiment after a long illness. The other authors want to acknowledge his guidance throughout this research. He had a leading role from the beginning of this project, providing original ideas, setting up the experimental apparatus, and becoming highly involved in the modeling of the data. We also want to acknowledge Dr. Fernando Rodríguez Merino and all the participants for the help and collaboration in this experiment.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no financial interests to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) [FIS2016-78037-P] and, in the case of the author Barrionuevo P, his collaboration was funded by the Argentine Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT) [PICT2016-3312].