Eye refraction: a comparative study between autorefractometer, aberrometer and subjective test

Abstract

AbstractPurpose To compare the ocular refractions given by three different techniques and to determine which provides better visual comfort.Methods All subjects underwent a completed optometric examination including clinical history, biomicroscopy of the anterior segment, subjective best corrected visual acuity, autoref/keratometer WAM‐5500 and aberrometer iTrace. Monocular measurements were made under natural accommodation and pupil size. The conditions of the tests were vertex distance 12mm, resolution of the refraction 0.12D, distance 7m and 3 measures each time. Subjects were classified as myopic group (20 eyes) if they presented subjective refraction ≥|‐0.50|D and low‐hyperopic/emmetropic group (22 eyes) if their subjective refraction was <|‐0.50|D. The equipments were calibrated with an artificial eye before the tests were done.Results Subjects chose as the best refractive option the subjective refraction (over 50% in all cases). In hyperopic/emmetropic eyes, subjective refraction showed smaller spheric values (0.22 and 0.18 D comparing to the autorefractor and the aberrometer respectively) and cylinder (0.17 D and 0.21 D, respectively), whereas in the myopic group, the autorefractor gave higher spheric values (0.21 and 0.26D comapring to the aberrometer and the subjective method respectively).Conclusion Most subjects involved in the present study achieved a better visual comfort with subjective refraction. Significant differences among the three techniques were found, although objective methods represent a good approximation to the refraction.