PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ji Won Jung AU - Sang Myung Kim AU - Sun Hyup Han AU - Eung Kweon Kim AU - Kyoung Yul Seo AU - Tae-im Kim TI - Effect of the pigment-free optical zone diameter of decorative tinted soft contact lenses on visual function AID - 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2015-306731 DP - 2016 May 01 TA - British Journal of Ophthalmology PG - 633--637 VI - 100 IP - 5 4099 - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/100/5/633.short 4100 - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/100/5/633.full SO - Br J Ophthalmol2016 May 01; 100 AB - Aims We investigated changes in visual function after wearing decorative tinted soft contact lenses with different pigment-free optical zone diameters.Methods A prospective study was performed in 30 eyes of 30 healthy volunteers. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), ocular higher-order aberrations (HOAs), modulation transfer function (MTF), Strehl ratio and contrast sensitivity were evaluated after wearing clear lens and tinted lenses with different pigment-free optical zone diameters (4, 5 and 6 mm).Results BCVA decreased from 0.00 logMAR after wearing a clear lens to 0.04±0.04 logMAR after wearing 4 mm optical zone lens (p<0.001). As the optical zone diameter decreased, ocular aberrations were induced. Total HOAs, coma aberration and secondary astigmatism showed significant difference between clear lens and 5 or 4 mm optical zone lenses (p<0.050). Spherical aberration and trefoil showed significant difference between clear lens and 4 mm optical zone lens (p<0.050). The results for Strehl ratio revealed poorer optical quality for both 5 and 4 mm optical zone lens (both p=0.002). The entire ocular MTF was significantly different, corresponding to the decreased optical zone diameter. The HOAs showed a correlation with the blocked pupil covered by the tinted part (r=0.435, p<0.001). In photopic and mesopic conditions, the contrast sensitivity decreased significantly with the reduced pigment-free optical zone diameters.Conclusion Decorative tinted contact lenses significantly increased ocular aberrations and decreased optical quality and contrast sensitivity, as the pigment-free optical zone diameter decreased. Therefore, consumers of tinted lenses should be informed about the possible disturbance in visual function.Trial registration number NCT02537275.