Relation between the dark focus of accommodation and refractive error--a cycloplegic study.

Abstract

We measured distance refractive error (Dist R), dark refractive error (Dark R), and cycloplegic refractive error (Cyclo R) in 196 subjects whose ages ranged from 4 to 17 years, using the Canon Autoref R-1. We defined the values of (Dark R--Dist R) as DFcus (Dist R) and those of (Dark R--Cyclo R) as DFcus (Cyclo R) in this study. Although DFcus (Dist R) was larger in less myopic and more hyperopic eyes similar to DFcus (Cyclo R), it was zero or plus in high hyperopic eyes, unlike DFcus (Cyclo R). We found Dist R was more strongly influenced by Cyclo R than was Dark R. It is not adequate to use Dist R as the far point for precise evaluation of the dark focus. We should use the difference between Dark R vs. Cyclo R as the true value of the dark focus of accommodation.