Visual Quality, Motility Behavior, and Retinal Changes Associated with Reading Tasks Performed on Electronic Devices

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to objectively evaluate visual discomfort using an eye tracker and aberrometer after a 21-min reading session on an iPad and an Ebook. Additionally, retinal changes were analyzed using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: A total of 31 young subjects (24 ± 4 years) participated in this study. They read for 21 min on an Ebook and for another 21 min on an iPad under controlled lighting conditions while their eye movements were monitored using an eye tracker. Aberrometry and retinal OCT measurements were taken before and after each reading session. Parameters such as pupil diameter, fixations, saccades, blinks, total aberration, high-order aberration, low-order aberration, and central and peripheral retinal thickness in the nine early treatment diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) areas were measured for each reading situation. Statistical analysis was performed on the collected data. Results: No statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) between the two devices were observed in terms of the different types of eye movements or the changes in retinal thickness. However, the aberrometric analysis showed variations in post-reading situations depending on the device used. Conclusion: Reading speed and visual discomfort resulting from electronic device usage can be objectively assessed using an eye tracker and aberrometer. Additionally, changes found in central and peripheral retinal thickness between the two devices and the baseline measurements were not significant and remained relatively stable.

Adaptive Illuminance Effects on Retinal Morphology and Refraction: A Comprehensive Study of Night Myopia

“…This suggests that prolonged exposure in this lighting condition may lead to ocular elongation and refractive development, which is supported by an experiment where irradiance and illuminance at the corneal plane and luminance of the reading screen were controlled while performing the task. The observed changes in the retina were linked to anterior pole alterations during accommodation, persisting in the retina with some stability after 21 min of reading compared to the baseline condition under appropriate photopic lighting settings [ 29 ]. In this line, a study in which a comprehensive analysis of the impact of reading on electronic devices under a range of lighting conditions was conducted [ 21 ] revealed that the peripheral retina exhibited varying thickness modifications in comparison to the central retinal area following short reading sessions.…”