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2025
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Abstract
"Throughout the course of a normal menstrual cycle, a woman’s hormone levels
vary greatly and these changes cause the body to react in a multitude of ways. However,
there is little previous research remarking on the link between visual function and the
menstrual hormones. The objective of this study was to determine how visual function is
impacted at different stages in the menstrual cycle. Specifically, tests of high and low
contrast visual acuity, lag of accommodation, color vision, and critical flicker fusion
frequency were recorded in order to examine changes in visual function over a normal
menstrual cycle.
This study recruited all subjects from the SUNY College of Optometry as well as
the areas surrounding the school between the ages of 18-30 years old. 12 female subjects
not currently pregnant or on birth control medication as well as 3 male control subjects
will participate. Subjects performed the required clinical measurements 5 days a week for
5 weeks (25 total days) to encompass the entire menstrual cycle. In addition, female
subjects also reported the day of their last menstrual cycle and any other perceived
changes in visual function throughout the month. No significant difference was found
between the female and male groups or within the female group throughout the month for
any parameter tested. Further parameters should be measured in the future in order to
gain a clear image of how menstruation impacts the whole ocular system."