Abstract

Aim: To determine the effect of human in vivo accommodation on the stability of the crystalline lens.

Methods: Using a dual Purkinje image (DPI) eyetracker, the phase–time difference and amplitudes of Purkinje images I (P_I) and IV (P_1V) were measured in 37 normal emmetropic subjects (34 women and 3 men; mean age 19.8, range 18–22 years) when they changed focus from 70 to 15 cm and simultaneously rotated their heads horizontally from side to side or made horizontal saccades between two targets 6.8° apart.

Results: When the subjects changed focus from 70 to 15 cm and rotated their heads or made eye saccades, the phase–time difference between P_I and P_IV decreased. During saccades, the amplitude of both P_I and P_IV overshoots significantly increased with focus at 15 cm; however, their ratio (P_IV overshoot amplitude/P_I overshoot amplitude) significantly declined.

Conclusions: The lens is stable during accommodation. The implications of these findings on the mechanism of accommodation are discussed.