Comparison of objective accommodation in phakic and pseudophakic eyes between age groups

Purpose: To compare objective accommodation of phakic and pseudophakic eyes between two different age groups. Methods: Eighty-three eyes (83 participants aged ≥ 40 years) with a visual acuity of 20/25 or better, and refractive error < spherical − 1.0 diopters (D) and cylindrical 1.0 D, were included. Forty-four patients had undergone phacoemulsification and monofocal intraocular lens implantation and were examined 6 months post-surgery. Participants were divided into groups 1 (pseudophakic, age < 60 years), 2 (pseudophakic, ≥ 60 years), 3 (phakic, < 60 years), and 4 (phakic, ≥ 60 years). Objective accommodation and pupil diameter to 2.0- and 3.0-D stimuli were measured with a binocular open-field autorefractor. Results: The mean objective accommodation was 0.29 ± 0.47 D, 0.01 ± 0.21 D, 1.00 ± 0.88 D, and 0.01 ± 0.13 to a 2.0-D stimulus, and 0.26 ± 0.51 D, − 0.06 ± 0.21 D, 1.42 ± 1.21 D, and − 0.06 ± 0.21 to a 3.0-D stimulus in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. For both stimuli, the values in group 1 exceeded those in groups 2 and 4, and were smaller than those in group 3, while the values in group 3 exceeded those in groups 2 and 4. The mean pupillary diameter was − 0.5 ± 0.8 mm, − 0.3 ± 0.8 mm, − 0.6 ± 0.5 mm, and − 0.6 ± 0.9 mm to a 2.0-D stimulus, and − 0.6 ± 0.8 mm, − 0.6 ± 0.8 mm, − 0.9 ± 0.5 mm, and − 1.0 ± 1.1 mm to a 3.0-D stimulus in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. There was significant correlation between objective accommodation and changes of pupil size for both stimuli. Conclusion: Age seems to play a role in objective accommodation among relatively young pseudophakic patients.