Orthokeratology lenses impact visual performance in low-light for myopic teenagers

Orthokeratology (OK) lenses cause significant short-term changes in corneal morphology and visual quality in teenagers with myopia, particularly leading to increased optical aberrations and reduced vision quality in low-light conditions, according to a study.

The prospective clinical study measured various parameters, including corneal topographic metrics, higher-order aberrations (HOAs), and the Strehl ratio (SR) after 6 months of OK lens wear.

The study found significant changes in corneal topography and vision quality. Within 1 week, the corneal surface asymmetry index (SAI) increased significantly, while the corneal eccentricity decreased. Total HOAs and spherical aberrations rose, and the SR, which indicates optical imaging quality, decreased notably (P < 0.01).

Over the 6 months, while axial length and lens decentration remained stable, induced astigmatism increased (P < 0.05). The study also found that SR was negatively correlated with corneal Q, SAI, and HOAs, and positively correlated with corneal eccentricity, axial length change, and lens decentration.

Reference
Cheng Z, Meng J, Ye L, et al. Changes in the Objective Vision Quality of Adolescents in a Mesopic Visual Environment After Wearing Orthokeratology Lenses: A Prospective Study. Eye Contact Lens. 2024;doi: 10.1097/ICL.0000000000001111. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38968599.