Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)最新文献

{"title":"Early-onset Presbyopes: Functional Impact and the Need for Clinical Recognition.","authors":"Olga Prenat, Meena Puar, Mark Rosenfield","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00140-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00140-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1003-1005"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13545034/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148552095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Scleral Lens Fenestrations and Fluid Reservoir Debris.","authors":"Damien Fisher, Luisa Holguin Colorado, David Alonso-Caneiro, Stephen J Vincent","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00150-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00150-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The accumulation of debris within the fluid reservoir during scleral lens wear can adversely affect vision, resulting in the need for lens removal. This study aimed to quantify the effect of incorporating limbal scleral lens fenestrations upon fluid reservoir debris.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty healthy adults (mean age 32 ± 11 years, 10 females/10 males) with normal corneas wore non-fenestrated and fenestrated (3 × 1 mm diameter limbal fenestrations separated by 120°) OneFitMed+ scleral lenses (No.7 Contact Lenses) in both eyes (on separate days) for 3 h. All other scleral lens parameters were held constant except for the addition of the fenestrations by the manufacturer. Customised image analysis (MATLAB) was used to quantify central fluid reservoir debris (an average and total intensity metric) from Scheimpflug images of the right eye.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fluid reservoir debris increased over time (p < 0.001), more so for non-fenestrated lenses. After 3 h, the increase in fluid reservoir debris was greater for the non-fenestrated lens design (total metric increase: non-fenestrated 66 ± 21 vs fenestrated 14 ± 7 arbitrary units [p = 0.03], average metric increase: non-fenestrated 9 ± 2 vs fenestrated 5 ± 1 arbitrary units [p = 0.07]). There was no significant difference in the magnitude of debris for fenestrated lenses fitted with or without an air bubble (p = 0.80). There was no association between central corneal oedema and the fluid reservoir intensity metrics for either the fenestrated (R² ≤ 0.08, p ≥ 0.28) or non-fenestrated lenses (R² ≤ 0.001, p ≥ 0.90).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>After 3 h, non-fenestrated lenses displayed a 2 (average metric) to 4.8 times (total metric) greater increase in central fluid reservoir debris than fenestrated lenses. This suggests a potential role for fenestrated lens designs in managing fluid reservoir debris; however, longer-term studies of participants with ocular disease are required.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial: </strong>This study was registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (Registration number 12622001164785p), date of registration 24/8/2022.</p>","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1211-1217"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13545066/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148595467","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chinese Reading Performance with Toric Versus Spherical Equivalent Soft Contact Lenses: A Participant-Masked Randomised Crossover Eye-Tracking Study.","authors":"Chin-Te Huang, Jou-Wen Lin, Wan-Yun Connie Tsung, Han-Yin Sun","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00136-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00136-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To evaluate the impact of toric versus spherical equivalent contact lenses on visual acuity and eye-movement-based reading performance in young adults with low-to-moderate astigmatism, using Chinese reading passages to reflect real-world tasks.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A participant-masked, randomised, two-period crossover study was conducted in 28 young adults (aged 18-35 years) with low-to-moderate refractive astigmatism (-0.75 to -2.00 dioptre cylinder [DC]). Participants wore toric and spherical equivalent daily disposable soft contact lenses (SCLs) for 1 week each, in random order. Binocular distance, intermediate and near visual acuity were measured and reading performance was assessed during silent reading of standardised Chinese passages using the EyeLink 1000 Plus. Key metrics included reading speed, fixation count, fixation per minute (fpm), fixation per word (fpw), saccade characteristics and regressions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Toric lenses significantly improved binocular intermediate visual acuity at 66 cm (-0.11 ± 0.07 vs. -0.07 ± 0.08 logMAR, p = 0.04) and reading speed (345.37 ± 122.41 vs. 322.49 ± 130.65 characters per minute [cpm], p = 0.03), compared with spherical equivalent lenses. Additionally, toric correction was associated with more efficient eye-movement behaviour, including fewer fixations per word, fewer total fixations, fewer total saccades and fewer regressions (all p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Toric SCLs improved intermediate visual acuity and Chinese reading performance relative to spherical equivalent correction in young adults with low-to-moderate astigmatism. These findings support the functional benefit of full astigmatic correction for visually demanding mid-range reading tasks.</p>","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1202-1210"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13545064/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148451338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Agreement Between Tear Film Tests Performed by Novice Examiners.","authors":"Miriam Casares-Lopez, Pilar Granados-Delgado, Francesco Martino, Miriam Carrillo-Pulido, Rosario G Anera, Sonia Ortiz-Peregrina","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00152-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00152-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To explore the agreement among tear break-up time measurements performed by novice examiners using manual non-invasive tear break-up time (mNIBUT), automated non-invasive tear break-up time (aNIBUT) and fluorescein tear break-up time (FBUT), and to examine the association between tear film metrics and symptoms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 61 volunteers (44 females) with a mean age of 21.5 ± 2.7 years underwent tear-film assessment performed by novice examiners (undergraduate students). The tear volume (Schirmer test), tear film stability by mNIBUT, aNIBUT and FBUT, along with lipid layer pattern, were assessed. Symptoms associated with tear-film quality and ocular surface discomfort were evaluated using the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Normal values were seen in 88.5%, 93.4%, 73.8% and 39.3% of participants using the Schirmer test, FBUT, mNIBUT and aNIBUT, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for tear break-up measurements indicated poor reliability between tests, except when comparing mNIBUT and FBUT (ICC = 0.67 and 0.60 for averaged and first measurements, respectively). Bland-Altman analysis showed that the 95% limits of agreement for mNIBUT-aNIBUT and FBUT-aNIBUT were wider than those for FBUT-mNIBUT. The lack of agreement did not change when averaging the three measurements. Results from the OSDI indicated that most participants did not report symptoms. No significant correlations were observed between the OSDI total score and any of the tear metrics (p > 0.05). The aNIBUT demonstrated the best agreement with symptoms in this young and largely asymptomatic population.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Tear break-up time measurements obtained by novice examiners showed limited reliability and agreement when comparing traditional methods (FBUT and mNIBUT) and the aNIBUT. Examiner-related variability may influence the assessment of tear-film stability, although causal inferences regarding examiner experience cannot be established from this study design. Repeating measurements did not improve the reliability and agreement between tests when performed by novice examiners.</p>","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1178-1187"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13545139/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148595433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Real-world Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Highly Aspherical Lenslets and Orthokeratology In Anisomyopic Children.","authors":"Jianglan Wang, Bi Yang, Stephen J Vincent, Longqian Liu, Pauline Cho","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00165-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00165-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To investigate the effectiveness of spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL) and orthokeratology (ortho-k) for myopia control and the change in the interocular axial length (AL) difference in binocular anisomyopic children over 1-year in a real-world setting.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Retrospective analysis of 74 bilateral anisomyopes (8-14 years; 39 HAL, 35 ortho-k). Axial elongation (AE) and interocular AL difference were compared in both groups; spherical equivalent refraction (SER), spherical refraction (SR), refractive astigmatism (RA) and corneal astigmatism (CA) were evaluated for the HAL group.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>AE in the more myopic eye (MME) of the HAL group was significantly greater than the ortho-k group (0.24 ± 0.17 vs. 0.15 ± 0.15 mm, p = 0.007). However, the opposite finding was observed in the less myopic eye (LME) (0.20 ± 0.14 vs. 0.29 ± 0.23 mm, p = 0.01). The interocular AL difference was reduced in the ortho-k group (0.69 ± 0.41 vs. 0.54 ± 0.32 mm, p = 0.007), whereas no significant change was found in the HAL group (p = 0.09). AE was associated with baseline SER (β = 0.08, p = 0.008) in the ortho-k group and age (β = -0.04, p = 0.001) in the HAL group. The MME in the HAL group showed larger changes in SER (-0.39 ± 0.31 vs. -0.27 ± 0.30 D) and CA (-0.21 ± 0.29 vs. -0.11 ± 0.25 D) than the LME (both p ≤ 0.03). The change in SER was positively associated with age and baseline SER (β = 0.08; β = 0.07, both p ≤ 0.02) in the HAL group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Ortho-k reduced AE, more so in the MME and reduced the interocular AL asymmetry. HAL slowed AE symmetrically, with greater control in older and less-myopic children.</p>","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1128-1132"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148681964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Smartphone Near-Viewing Demands Differ in Corrected Presbyopes: Implication for Presbyopic Correction.","authors":"Carl Halladay Abraham, Alhassan Osman, Godfred Sakyi-Badu, Charles Darko-Takyi, Emmanuel Addai, Fusiena Safianu, Emmanuella Nyarkoa Opoku, Asantewaa Aboagye-MacCarthy, Emmanuel Adator, Enyam Komla Amewuho Morny","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00168-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00168-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to investigate near viewing modifications during smartphone usage between presbyopes and non-presbyopes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study design was employed, involving corrected presbyopes and non-presbyopes who completed a series of standardised reading tasks on a smartphone under habitual viewing conditions. The time taken to complete each reading task was recorded. Viewing distance and craniovertebral angle were measured from images captured at a distance of 2 metres while participants performed the tasks, allowing for objective assessment of posture and working distance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Corrected presbyopes used significantly larger font sizes to complete the reading tasks compared with non-presbyopes (p < 0.01). They also completed the reading tasks at significantly greater viewing distances (p < 0.001) and required significantly longer completion times (p < 0.001). However, craniovertebral angles did not differ significantly between the two groups during task performance (p > 0.05), suggesting similar neck posture despite differences in visual demand.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Despite reading with a significantly larger font size, presbyopes required a longer viewing distance and more time to complete all reading tasks, indicating increased visual effort and adaptation during smartphone use. These findings highlight the additional visual demands experienced by corrected presbyopes during near digital tasks. Therefore, prescribers should consider the specific visual tasks an individual engages in when prescribing presbyopic correction rather than relying solely on the conventional 40 cm near working distance, as real-world smartphone usage may require different accommodative and ergonomic considerations.</p>","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1025-1032"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148726149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subjective Accommodative Function and Defocus Curve Metrics in Phakic Adults Aged 45-65 Years.","authors":"Inas Baoud-Ould-Haddi, Águeda Sierra, Nuria Garzón, César Albarrán-Diego, Javier Vargas, María García-Montero","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00161-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00161-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To evaluate accommodative amplitude (AA), accommodative lag (LAG) and defocus curve (DC) metrics in phakic adults aged 45-65 years, and investigate their relationships.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Observational cross-sectional study including 77 subjects stratified into four age groups (G1-G4: 45-50, 51-55, 56-60 and 61-65 years, respectively). AA was measured using the push-up method and LAG at 40 cm and 66 cm using an open-field autorefractometer. Monocular DC were obtained and two summary metrics derived: area under the curve (AUC) and defocus cut-off at 0.20 logMAR. Differences among age groups were analysed using appropriate statistical tests, and regression models evaluated the predictive value of age and defocus cut-off for AA.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>AA decreased significantly with age (G1-G4: 2.41 ± 0.53, 2.13 ± 0.63, 1.61 ± 0.44 and 1.75 ± 0.73 D; p < 0.001), with higher values in younger (45-55 years) compared with older subjects (56-65 years) and no significant differences within each age cluster. LAG remained stable at both 40 cm (p = 0.27) and 66 cm (p = 0.50). DC metrics showed significant age-related changes, with reduced AUC and less defocus cut-off values in older groups (p < 0.001). AUC differed significantly between G1 and G4 and between G2 and G4, whereas defocus cut-off differed only between G2 and G4. Age (R² = 0.22) and defocus cut-off (R² = 0.09) had limited predictive value for AA.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>AA and DC metrics decline with age, whereas LAG remains stable. Their weak association suggests that they reflect partially distinct aspects of visual function. DC analysis captures aspects of functional near visual performance that are not fully reflected by accommodative measurements alone, which may be useful for a more comprehensive characterisation of presbyopic visual function and for the evaluation of presbyopia-correcting interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1246-1254"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148671947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diagnostic Accuracy of Teacher-Administered School Vision Screening: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.","authors":"Mariana Cunha, Amélia Fernandes Nunes, Marco Miguel, Dário Ferreira, Carla Lanca","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00145-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00145-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To determine the diagnostic performance (sensitivity [SE] and specificity [SP]) of vision screening conducted by teachers compared to a gold-standard visual examination performed by eye care professionals for identifying refractive errors in children.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This systematic review and meta-analysis searched PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus for studies involving children aged 4-18 years. Methodological quality was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool, and diagnostic accuracy was synthesised using a Bivariate Random-Effects Model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Nineteen articles (24 study arms) were included, involving approximately 5.7 million children and 34,500 teachers. Global meta-analysis revealed a pooled SE of 76.8% (95% CI: 62.4%, 86.9%), SP of 93.6% (95% CI: 85.7%, 97.3%) and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92. Low-risk studies showed more conservative values (SE: 72.1% [95% CI: 57.2%, 83.4%]; SP: 96.0% [95% CI: 89.3%, 98.5%]) compared to high/unclear risk investigations (SE: 80.1% [95% CI: 55.6%, 92.8%]; SP: 90.8% [95% CI: 71.4%, 97.5%]). Additionally, (1) studies using a 6/12 cutoff showed more consistent diagnostic performance (minimum SE: 72.6%); (2) sensitivity was significantly higher in younger children (89.29%) than in adolescents (45.45%) and (3) studies specifying a cycloplegia protocol reported superior performance, with SE > 92.0% and SP > 72.0%. Overlapping confidence intervals and bias variability suggest that diagnostic accuracy depends on both reference standard rigour and teacher training/motivation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Vision screening by teachers is a viable strategy with high potential. Studies using a 6/12 cutoff demonstrated more consistent diagnostic performance, although this may reflect differences in study quality. The success of the programme depends on solid practical training and rigorous validation protocols. Involving all classroom teachers proves to be the preferred strategy for maximising early detection, while the selected teachers model stands out for its greater logistical feasibility. Continuous teacher training remains essential for the sustainability of vision screening programmes.</p>","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1014-1024"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148681969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of a Self-Guided Eye Movement Training for Individuals with Central Vision Loss.","authors":"Patricia Grant, Janet P Szlyk, Meesa Royster, Charlotte C Jackson, William Seiple","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00144-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00144-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To evaluate reading performance following an 8-week self-guided eye-movement training programme in people with central vision loss.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty-three adults with a retinal disease affecting the central retina, a documented central scotoma and best-corrected visual acuity between 6/21 and 6/120 in the better-seeing eye were enroled. Of these, 25 participants completed a self-guided eye-movement training programme in a clinical setting, for 2 h per week over 8 weeks. To assess the feasibility of remote delivery, eight participants engaged with the same training platform at home. The primary outcome was maximum reading speed, measured binocularly using Minnesota Low Vision Reading (MNREAD) acuity charts. Visual acuity, depression, adaptation to vision loss and self-reported visual function measures were collected at baseline and following the training period.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Reading speed increased significantly from baseline following training, by an average of 23 + 24.6 words per minute (wpm), representing a 55% gain. Median reading speed increased by an average of 22.6 wpm for the in-clinic group (n = 25) and 24.3 wpm for the home-based group (n = 8). These findings suggest that self-guided training can enhance reading performance effectively and may be suitable for implementation in both clinical and remote settings.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The self-guided eye movement training programme offers an effective and accessible approach to improve reading performance in individuals with central vision loss. This approach has the potential to complement standard care while broadening access to vision rehabilitation services across both clinical and remote settings.</p><p><strong>Clinicaltrials: </strong></p><p><strong>Gov id: </strong>NCT01853930 (5-10-2013).</p>","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1170-1177"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13545143/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148612367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Making Corneal Sensation Testing Accessible: Bench Validation of a Low-Cost Adjustable Monofilament Aesthesiometer.","authors":"David Maskill","doi":"10.1007/s44402-026-00160-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s44402-026-00160-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Corneal sensation testing is essential for diagnosing and monitoring neurotrophic keratopathy, yet the gold-standard Cochet-Bonnet (COBO) aesthesiometer (>£1000) is unavailable in most ophthalmology departments. The cotton wisp alternative is qualitative and insensitive to early sensory loss. This study evaluated whether a generic adjustable monofilament corneal aesthesiometer (GAMCA) fabricated from commodity materials could replicate COBO performance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The GAMCA comprised a 0.12 mm nylon monofilament of adjustable length on a millimetre-scaled sliding carrier, constructed for £10.28. Two independently fabricated devices were validated across 12 lengths (5-60 mm, 20 measurements each) against published humidity-corrected COBO reference pressures using precision balance and corneal phantom testing. Agreement was assessed by standard-error weighted log-transformed Bland-Altman analysis with supporting regression and correlation statistics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both devices produced monotonically increasing pressure-length relationships consistent with beam mechanics. Coefficient of variation ranged from 11.0% to 19.9%. Rank-order correspondence with COBO was near-perfect (Pearson's r = 0.998-0.999; Spearman's ρ = 1.00; Lin's concordance correlation coefficient 0.849-0.869). Geometric mean bias was ×1.22 (95% limits of agreement ×0.939 to ×1.576) at 60% humidity and ×1.41 (×1.177 to ×1.680) at 50% humidity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A corneal aesthesiometer replicating COBO mechanical principles can be constructed for approximately 1% of its cost, with preserved rank-order fidelity and acceptable repeatability across clinically relevant pressures. This device could be suitable for community screening, ward-based settings and resource-scarce environments. Prospective clinical validation of reproducibility and threshold detection in normal and hypoaesthetic corneas are now warranted.</p>","PeriodicalId":520731,"journal":{"name":"Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)","volume":" ","pages":"1196-1201"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148633546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}