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Biomedical subjects

Mark A Bullimore

Publications and source records attributed to Mark A Bullimore.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The Study of Progression of Adult Nearsightedness (SPAN): design and baseline characteristics.

PURPOSE: The Study of Progression of Adult Nearsightedness (SPAN) is a 5-year observational study to determine the risk factors associated with adult myopia progression. Candidate risk factors include: a high proportion of time spent performing near tasks, performing near tasks at a close distance, high accommodative convergence/accommodation (AC/A) ratio, and high accommodative lag. METHODS: Subjects between 25 and 35 years of age, with at least -0.50 D spherical equivalent of myopia (cycloplegic autorefraction), were recruited from the faculty and staff of The Ohio State University. Progression is defined as an increase in myopia of at least -0.75 D spherical equivalent as determined by cycloplegic autorefraction. Annual testing includes visual acuity, noncycloplegic autorefraction and autokeratometry, phoria, accommodative lag, response AC/A ratio, cycloplegic autorefraction, videophakometry, ultrasound, and partial coherence interferometry (IOLMaster). Participants' near activities were assessed using the experience sampling method (ESM). Subjects carried a pager for two 1-week periods and were paged randomly throughout the day. Each time they were paged, they dialed into an automated telephone survey and reported their visual activity at that time. From these responses, the proportion of time spent performing near work was estimated. RESULTS: Three-hundred ninety-six subjects were enrolled in SPAN. The mean (+/- standard deviation) age at baseline was 30.7 +/- 3.5 years, 66% were female, 80% were white, 11% were black, and 8% were Asian/Pacific Islander. The mean level of myopia (spherical equivalent) was -3.54 +/- 1.77 D, the mean axial length by IOLMaster was 24.6 +/- 1.1 mm, and subjects were 1.7 +/- 4.0 Delta exophoric. Refractive error was associated with the number of myopic parents (F = 3.83, p = 0.023), and the number of myopic parents was associated with the age of myopia onset (chi2 = 13.78, p = 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, onset of myopia (early vs. late) still had a significant effect on degree of myopia (F = 115.1, p < 0.001), but the number of myopic parents was no longer significant (F = 0.65, p = 0.52). For the ESM, the most frequently reported visual task was computer use (mean, 18.9%; range, 0-60.0%) and, overall, subjects reported near work activity 34.1% of the time (range, 0-67.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The design of SPAN and the baseline characteristics of the cohort have been described. Parental history of myopia is related to the degree of myopia at baseline, but this effect is mediated by the age of onset of myopia.

Accommodation, Ocular↗

A prospective randomized clinical trial of laser in situ keratomileusis with two different lasers.

PURPOSE: To compare optical quality, visual function, corneal shape, ocular wavefront aberrations, and patient-reported symptoms and satisfaction after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with two different excimer lasers. DESIGN: Prospective randomized clinical trial. METHODS: In an institutional practice setting, 60 eyes of 30 patients with low to moderate myopia were randomized to receive LASIK in one eye with the Technolas 217A; the other eye was treated with the VISX S3. Patients were followed for 6 months after surgery. The primary outcome measure was best spectacle-corrected visual acuity. RESULTS: At 6 months, the mean best-spectacle corrected high contrast visual acuity was similar between the two treatment groups: mean difference (95% confidence interval) was -0.01 logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) (-0.03 to +0.01 logMAR). Uncorrected visual acuity differences were also not significant. The difference in residual spherical equivalent subjective refractive error between treatment groups was -0.15 diopter (-0.34 to +0.05 diopter). Spherical aberration increased in both groups after treatment, and the change in root mean square (RMS) ocular wavefront error was greater in the VISX group by +0.07 microm (+0.03 to +0.11 microm). After LASIK, corneal curvature was steeper in the midperipheral region among VISX-treated eyes by +1.39 diopters (+2.06 to +0.72 diopters). There were no patient-reported differences in satisfaction between eyes. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant differences in visual acuity or refractive outcomes attributed to either laser under any of the conditions measured. There was also no significant difference in patient-reported symptoms, satisfaction with treatment, or eye preference associated with either laser. Additional study is needed to establish the importance of differences in higher-order optical aberrations and corneal shape that we observed in these two treatment groups.

Adult↗

The current state of corneal reshaping.

PURPOSE: The application of contact lenses to alter the shape of the cornea and temporarily reduce or eliminate myopia is known as orthokeratology, corneal refractive therapy, or corneal reshaping. It was first introduced in the 1960s, but high oxygen permeable materials and more sophisticated designs allow patients to wear contact lenses only during sleep, while dramatically improving the predictability and rate of myopia reduction. Many studies have shown that most corneal reshaping patients achieve uncorrected visual acuity of 20/25 or better that lasts all day long in one to two weeks of nighttime wear. Treatment is primarily effective through central epithelial thinning and midperipheral epithelial and stromal thickening. Much remains to be learned about corneal reshaping contact lenses and their effects on the cornea. METHODS: The authors reviewed existing knowledge and determined what needs to be learned in order to provide patients with appropriate informed consent prior to corneal reshaping contact lens wear. RESULTS: While corneal reshaping contact lenses are effective at temporarily reducing or eliminating myopia, claims about the progress of myopia being controlled with corneal reshaping contact lenses should not be made until further studies are published in peer-reviewed literature. The incidence and prevalence of microbial keratitis related to corneal reshaping contact lens wear is not known. Any overnight wear of contact lenses increases the risk of infection, but it is not known whether the risks of microbial keratitis are greater for corneal reshaping overnight contact lens wearers than other form of overnight contact lens wear. It is also not known whether the risk of microbial keratitis is greater for children than adults, but we must determine if children are at greater risk than adults because many children are wearing corneal reshaping contact lenses. CONCLUSIONS: Finally, it is recommended that ongoing education be provided to practitioners and staff regarding safety, informed consent, and prevention of potential problems, with special emphasis on the critical need to properly and thoroughly disinfect lenses that will be worn overnight.

Child↗

An evaluation of the Mars Letter Contrast Sensitivity Test.

PURPOSE: The Mars Letter Contrast Sensitivity Test (initially known as the Lighthouse Letter Contrast Sensitivity Test) is similar in design to the Pelli-Robson Test but may offer several advantages. This study evaluates the repeatability of the Mars test and its agreement with the Pelli-Robson test in normal and low-vision subjects. METHODS: Fifty-four subjects were tested (age 22-86 years), including 20 normally sighted young adults, 17 normally sighted older adults, and 17 adults with low vision (20/16 to 20/250). Subjects were tested with both contrast sensitivity tests and with the ETDRS visual acuity chart. After a short break, subjects were retested with an alternate form of each contrast sensitivity test. The chart forms used (two Pelli-Robson and three Mars) and the order of testing were varied systematically. Testing was monocular with habitual correction and, for subjects over 40 years of age, included appropriate near add. Letter-by-letter scoring was used for both tests. Repeatability and agreement were assessed by determining the 95% limits of agreement (LoA): +/- 1.96 standard deviations of the differences between administrations or tests. RESULTS: The Mars test showed excellent agreement with the Pelli-Robson test, with 95% LoA of +/- 0.21 log units for all subjects. The Mars test was similarly repeatable (95% LoA = +/-0.20 log units) to the Pelli-Robson test (95% LoA = +/-0.20 log units) among all subjects. CONCLUSION: The new Mars Letter Contrast Sensitivity Test shows excellent agreement with the Pelli-Robson test and has similar repeatability. There are subtle differences in the actual contrast levels on different forms of the Mars test, and adjusting for these differences leads to superior repeatability of the Mars test. Thus, the Mars test may be a useful alternative to the Pelli-Robson test offering several advantages, including smaller size, improved durability, and ease of use.

Adult↗

Automated decision tree classification of corneal shape.

PURPOSE: The volume and complexity of data produced during videokeratography examinations present a challenge of interpretation. As a consequence, results are often analyzed qualitatively by subjective pattern recognition or reduced to comparisons of summary indices. We describe the application of decision tree induction, an automated machine learning classification method, to discriminate between normal and keratoconic corneal shapes in an objective and quantitative way. We then compared this method with other known classification methods. METHODS: The corneal surface was modeled with a seventh-order Zernike polynomial for 132 normal eyes of 92 subjects and 112 eyes of 71 subjects diagnosed with keratoconus. A decision tree classifier was induced using the C4.5 algorithm, and its classification performance was compared with the modified Rabinowitz-McDonnell index, Schwiegerling's Z3 index (Z3), Keratoconus Prediction Index (KPI), KISA%, and Cone Location and Magnitude Index using recommended classification thresholds for each method. We also evaluated the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve for each classification method. RESULTS: Our decision tree classifier performed equal to or better than the other classifiers tested: accuracy was 92% and the area under the ROC curve was 0.97. Our decision tree classifier reduced the information needed to distinguish between normal and keratoconus eyes using four of 36 Zernike polynomial coefficients. The four surface features selected as classification attributes by the decision tree method were inferior elevation, greater sagittal depth, oblique toricity, and trefoil. CONCLUSION: Automated decision tree classification of corneal shape through Zernike polynomials is an accurate quantitative method of classification that is interpretable and can be generated from any instrument platform capable of raw elevation data output. This method of pattern classification is extendable to other classification problems.

Cornea↗

Ocular component measurement using the Zeiss IOLMaster.

PURPOSE: Axial length is traditionally measured using A-scan ultrasound. The IOLMaster is a new instrument that uses partial coherence interferometry to measure axial length. We compared the repeatability of these techniques for both an experienced and an inexperienced observer, the agreement between the two techniques, and the effect of cycloplegia on IOLMaster measurements. METHODS: Five measurements of axial length and three measurements of anterior chamber depth were taken with the IOLMaster in two sessions separated by 1 to 12 days in 20 young adults. The two examiners each took measurements, and the subject was then cyclopleged with 1% tropicamide. The IOLMaster readings were then repeated by both examiners, followed by five ultrasound readings. Repeatability was evaluated by calculating the difference between measurements from the two sessions. The mean and standard deviation of these differences was then used to determine the 95% limits of agreement (LoA) for each technique. In addition, the agreement between the IOLMaster and ultrasound was assessed, along with the effect of cycloplegia on IOLMaster readings. RESULTS: The IOLMaster was more repeatable than ultrasound. For axial length, the 95% LoA were -0.11 to +0.07 mm, -0.06 to +0.05 mm, and -0.25 to +0.35 mm, for noncycloplegic IOLMaster, cycloplegic IOLMaster, and ultrasound, respectively. The two instruments showed modest agreement with each other (mean difference, +0.12 mm; 95% LoA, -0.39 to +0.64 mm; p > 0.0125). Cycloplegia had no significant effect on IOLMaster axial length measurements. The 95% LoA for anterior chamber depth measurement were -0.11 to +0.18 mm, -0.06 to +0.04 mm, and -0.19 to +0.21 mm, for noncycloplegic IOLMaster, cycloplegic IOLMaster, and ultrasound, respectively. The IOLMaster gave significantly longer anterior chamber depths than ultrasound (mean, +0.18 mm; 95% LoA, -0.02 to +0.37 mm; p < 0.0125), and cycloplegia produced significantly deeper anterior chamber depths using the IOLMaster (mean, +0.12 +/- 0.09 mm; 95% LoA, -0.05 to +0.29 mm; t = 6.17; p < 0.001). The experienced observer's measurements were more repeatable than the inexperienced observer's for ultrasound, but not for the IOLMaster. CONCLUSIONS: The superior repeatability of the IOLMaster suggests that it should become the standard for axial length measurement. The 95% limits of agreement for the cycloplegic measurements correspond to a change in refractive error of +/-0.12 D.

Adult↗

Characteristics of corneal ectasia after LASIK for myopia.

PURPOSE: There are numerous reports of corneal ectasia after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for myopia without a consistent definition of this condition or a definitive etiology. We conducted a retrospective analysis of published case reports to describe common characteristics of this postoperative event and compared them with findings from a group of successful LASIK patients. METHODS: A MEDLINE search for "LASIK" and "ectasia" yielded 21 relevant articles published before May 2003 (n = 86 eyes, 59 patients). A comparison group (n = 103 eyes, 63 patients) was selected from a clinic-based sample of successful LASIK patients with 12 months of follow-up after treatment. Descriptive statistics are reported as median and interquartile range. Comparisons were performed using the Wilcoxon rank sum, Wilcoxon signed rank, and chi-square tests. RESULTS: Time to diagnosis of ectasia after LASIK was 13 months (6 to 20 months). Residual myopia in the ectasia group was -3.69 D (-6.00 to -2.13 D) and was significantly greater than the comparison group, -0.38 D (-0.75 to 0.00 D), P < 0.001. After surgery, eyes with ectasia had increased corneal toricity 2.87 D (2.00 to 4.9 D) with increased oblique astigmatism 1.3 D (0.23 to 2.89 D) relative to eyes in the comparison group 0.00 D (0.00 to 0.08 D), and a loss of 2 lines (-0.5 to -6 lines) of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (all P < 0.001). Thirty-five percent of reported cases resulted in subsequent corneal transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative characteristics of corneal ectasia include worse visual acuity, less corneal thickness, greater residual myopia, and greater corneal toricity than nonectatic eyes. Treatment factors associated with corneal ectasia after LASIK are greater stromal ablation and less residual stromal bed thickness. Postoperative characteristics of corneal ectasia are myopic refractive error with increased astigmatism, worse spectacle-corrected visual acuity, increased corneal toricity with topographic abnormality, and progressive corneal thinning.

Adult↗

The effect of LASIK on best-corrected high-and low-contrast visual acuity.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and LASIK with concurrent astigmatic keratectomy (LASIK/AK) on high- and low-contrast visual acuity. METHODS: The setting was a university refractive surgery practice. Patients were recruited from those undergoing LASIK or LASIK/AK for myopia (>1.00 D spherical equivalent) between May 1996 and August 1997. All subjects were at least 21 years of age. Testing occurred preoperatively and 3 and 6 months after LASIK. Main outcome measures were best spectacle-corrected, high- and low-contrast visual acuity. RESULTS: For all subjects, there was a significant effect of surgery on nondilated low-contrast visual acuity (repeated measures two-way analysis of variance, p < 0.0001). Tukey's posthoc analysis showed that preoperative low-contrast visual acuity scores were significantly different from 3-month [0.08 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR)] and 6-month (0.11 logMAR) scores for patients undergoing LASIK and LASIK/AK. Under dilated conditions, there was a significant effect of surgery for high- and low-contrast visual acuity (analysis of variance, p < 0.0001 for both). Only changes in low-contrast visual acuity were clinically meaningful [LASIK, visual acuity reduction of 0.1 logMAR (1 line); LASIK/AK, visual acuity reduction of 0.15 logMAR (1.5 lines)]. When considering high and low myopes separately (LASIK only), the level of myopia had a significant effect on the visual acuity after surgery (analysis of variance, p = 0.01). Preoperative, dilated, low-contrast visual acuity scores for high myopes were significantly different from 3-month (0.14 logMAR) and 6-month (0.13 logMAR) scores. No differences were noted for low myopes. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically meaningful postoperative changes in low-contrast visual acuity were noted in patients undergoing LASIK and LASIK/AK under natural and dilated conditions. Postoperative, dilated, low-contrast visual acuity scores were significantly worse than preoperative scores for high myopes, but remained unchanged for low myopes.

Adult↗

Visual acuity and the accuracy of the accommodative response.

Previous investigators have observed that some subjects show large amounts of accommodative lag. We hypothesized that less accurate accommodation might be associated with poorer visual acuity and/or smaller pupil sizes. Sixty subjects (30 emmetropes and 30 myopes) aged 20-30 years, participated. All had best-corrected visual acuity of 6/6 or better [mean = -0.10 +/- 0.07 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR)]. Subjects monocularly viewed reduced Bailey-Lovie charts through a +6.50 D Badal lens on a Canon R1 auto-refractor. Visual acuity, accommodative response and pupil diameter were measured for 0, 2 and 4 D accommodative stimuli. For accommodation measurements (N= 10) subjects were instructed to fixate the smallest letters that they could read. The mean accommodative response was +0.22 +/- 0.28, +1.83 +/- 0.23 and +3.71 +/- 0.27 D for the 0, 2 and 4 D stimuli, respectively. The mean visual acuity was -0.06 +/- 0.10, -0.11 +/- 0.07 and -0.11 +/- 0.07 logMAR for the 0, 2 and 4 D stimuli, respectively. Visual acuity for the 0 D stimulus was significantly poorer than for other conditions (p < 0.001) and associated with increased accommodative lead (p < 0.01). There was also an association between visual acuity and accommodative response (or lag) for the 4 D stimulus (p=0.002). The emmetropes showed significantly better visual acuity than the myopes (p= 0.004). No significant difference was observed in the accommodative response between emmetropes and myopes. Pupil diameter was not associated with the accuracy of the accommodative response (p > 0.17). Increased accommodative lead (0 D stimulus) and accommodative lag (4 D stimulus) are associated with decreased visual acuity. Smaller pupil diameters are not associated with increased accommodative lag.

Accommodation, Ocular↗