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Completeness of blink may be as important as blink rate in CVS
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Instructing a patient to increase blink rate to alleviate dry eye symptoms associated with computer vision syndrome may be ineffective or impractical, while efforts to increase corneal coverage may be more helpful, according to a recently published study.
Portello and colleagues reported that while blink rate is important, the completeness of each blink may be equally significant, and actions to achieve a full blink during computer operation may be more effective against the patient’s dry eye symptoms.
The study, which examined whether post-task ocular and visual symptoms are associated with either a decreased blink rate or a higher prevalence of incomplete blinks, included 21 subjects who performed a continuous 15-minute reading task on a desktop computer at a viewing distance of 50 cm, the study said.
It also examined whether increasing the blink rate through the use of audible prompts would reduce dry eye symptoms associated with computer use.
A significant positive correlation was observed between the total symptom score and the percentage of incomplete blinks during the task (P = .002), the study said.
Furthermore, a significant negative correlation was noted between the blink score and symptoms (P = .035).
Increasing the mean blink rate to 23.5 blinks per minute by means of the audible tone did not produce a significant change in the symptom score, according to the study.
The study was published in the May 2013 issue of Optometry and Vision Science.