Accommodative state of young adults using reading spectacles

Abstract

We examined the accommodative state of young adults wearing +2D and +3D reading spectacles under normal conditions and with the elimination of accommodative cues. Subjects' refractions were measured with an infrared PowerRefractor. Power of the vertical meridian was recorded for subjects viewing far and near targets in free space and through a Badal lens apparatus with and without reading spectacles. Additionally, refractive measurements were taken after subjects wore +2D reading spectacles for 30 min (post-adaptation). In free viewing and viewing through the Badal lens, subjects uniformly over-accommodated relative to the target while wearing reading spectacles (i.e., with the spectacles, they focused at a plane in front of the target). Subjects in the first post-adaptation test showed no significant difference in accommodation between viewing a near target with and without +2D spectacles after having read with them for 30 min, though they had without post-adaptation. Subjects in the second post-adaptation test were not significantly differently accommodated before and after reading when binocularly viewing a near target with +2D reading spectacles. The results imply that no adaptation of the subjects' accommodative postures while viewing visual targets occurred as a result of a 1/2 h near work task with the spectacles. The over-accommodation of subjects using reading spectacles while they are performing visual tasks shows the necessity of measurement if their true accommodative posture is to be determined. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.