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Study shows benefits of photochromic contact lenses
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SAN ANTONIO – Activated photochromic contact lenses resulted in improved visual function when compared to transparent contact lenses, according to a study presented here at the American Academy of Optometry meeting.
Billy R. Hammond, PhD, professor of Brain and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Georgia, presented the study findings during an academy-sponsored press conference.
Sixty-one habitual contact lens wearers between the ages of 18 and 65 years wore a photochromic contact lens in one eye and a clear lens in the other. Hammond said the subjects did not know which lens was which.
Researchers measured glare disability, which Hammond described as the inability to see in the presence of a bright, glaring light source; photostress recovery; chromatic contrast, or ability to detect borders; and glare discomfort, also described as the degree of squinting.
“Across these categories of visual function, we found advantages in the photochromic lens,” Hammond said.
Photochromic wearers could stand 27% more energy than clear lens wearers, he said. They recovered 43% faster from photostress recovery. They could detect borders 32% better, and they squinted 38% less. – by Nancy Hemphill, ELS, FAAO
Disclosure: Hammond reported no relevant financial disclosures. The study was funded by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.