Citation

Chu BS, Wood JM, Collins M. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2010; 51(9): 4861-4866.

Affiliation

School of Optometry and Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology)

DOI

10.1167/iovs.10-5154

PMID

20375338

Abstract

Purpose. To investigate the effect of various presbyopic vision corrections on night-time driving performance on a closed road driving circuit. Methods. Participants included 11 presbyopes (mean age: 57.3+/-5.8 years), with a mean best sphere distance refractive error of R+0.23+/-1.53 DS; L+0.20+/-1.50 DS, whose only experience of wearing presbyopic vision corrections was reading spectacles. The study involved a repeated measures design, where participant's night-time driving performance was assessed on a closed road circuit when wearing each of four power-matched vision corrections. These included single vision distance lenses (SV), progressive addition spectacle lenses (PAL), monovision contact lenses (MV) and multifocal contact lenses (MTF CL) worn in a randomized order. Measures included low contrast road hazard detection and avoidance, road sign and near target recognition, lane-keeping, driving time and legibility distance for street signs. Eye movement data (fixation duration and number of fixations) were also recorded. Results. Street sign legibility distances were shorter when wearing MV and MTF CL than SV and PAL (p<0.001) and participants drove more slowly with MTF CL than with PALs (p=0.048). Wearing SV resulted in more errors (p<0.001), more (p=0.002) and longer (p<0.001) fixations when responding to near targets. Fixation duration was also longer when viewing distant signs with MTF CL than PAL (p=0.031). Conclusions. Presbyopic vision corrections worn by naive, unadapted wearers affected night-time driving. Overall, spectacle corrections (PAL and SV) performed well for distance driving tasks, but SV negatively affected viewing near dashboard targets. MTF CL resulted in the shortest legibility distance for street signs and longer fixation times.

Language: en