Digital Eye Strain and Repeated Clinical Testing

Abstract

"Purpose: The use of digital devices has increased substantially over the past decades across all age groups for educational, career and leisure purposes. Although a high prevalence of Digital Eye Strain (DES) has been well established, especially during the recent pandemic, little is known about the association between repeated clinical testing and DES symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine whether symptoms of DES are associated with repeated measurements of standard clinical near-vision tests.

Method: The study was performed on 30 young, normally-sighted individuals. Each participant completed 3 sessions to test accommodation (monocular facility, push-up amplitude), vergence (near point of convergence (NPC), near heterophoria) and accommodative-vergence interaction (AC/A ratio, binocular accommodative facility). Participants performed a cognitively demanding reading task from a tablet computer positioned at 33cm for 20 minutes. Repeated clinical measurements (3 readings) were taken both before and immediately after the reading task. Additionally, subjects completed a questionnaire regarding ocular and visual symptoms prior to and immediately after the reading period.

Results: While a statistically significant difference in pre- and post-task DES symptom scores was observed (p < 0.01), no significant task-induced change in accommodation, vergence and accommodative-vergence measurements were found. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the three consecutive readings for any of the pre- or post-task clinical parameters.

Conclusion: These results indicate that repeated measurements of standard clinical near-vision tests are not associated with Digital Eye Strain (DES) symptoms. Additionally, no significant difference between the three repeated pre- or post-task measurements was found. "