Higher order aberrations in physiological optical system – own experience

Purpose
To assess higher order aberrations in the physiological optical system in relation to pupil diameter and age of people studied.

Material and methods
The study comprised 235 eyes of 122 subjects (67 women and 55 men) (mean age 43.8 ±15.5 years). Aberrations of the optical system were assessed using a LADARWave aberrometer (Alcon Laboratories). Aberration finding analysis included age, the pupil diameter, and their interrelations. ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, multiple comparison and Ch2 tests were used to establish the statistical significance, and the correlation coefficient was calculated according to Spearman test.

Results
Basing on the studies performed, we found that the older subjects were the more statistically significant was the increase in the prevalence of higher order aberrations, including coma and spherical aberrations, at the same pupil diameter of 5-6.5 mm. When the relationship between aberrations and the pupil diameter was analyzed in a group of subjects aged 20-40 yrs, it turned out that the bigger the pupil diameter was the more statistically significant was the increase of higher order aberrations, including coma. While assessing the whole group studied we found a statistically significant reverse correlation between the pupil diameter and the subjects’ age. Aberrations parameters between age groups 20-40, 40-60 and over 60 y. did not differ significantly.

Conclusions
In the optical system an age-related increase of higher order aberrations is compensated by miosis, which reduces disadvantages of these aberrations and maintains the best optical quality of retinal image.