TY - JOUR
T1 - Functional impairment of reading in patients with dry eye
AU - Mathews, Priya M.
AU - Ramulu, Pradeep Y.
AU - Swenor, Bonnielin S.
AU - Utine, Canan A.
AU - Rubin, Gary S.
AU - Akpek, Esen K.
PY - 2017/4
Y1 - 2017/4
N2 - Background/aims To evaluate the impact of dry eye on reading performance. Methods Out-loud and silent reading in patients with clinically significant dry eye (n=41) and controls (n=50) was evaluated using standardised texts. Dry eye measures included tear film break-up time, Schirmer's test and corneal epithelial staining. Symptoms were assessed by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). Results The dry eye group had a greater proportion of women as compared with the control group but did not differ in age, race, education level or visual acuity (p≥0.05 for all). Out-loud reading speed averaged 148 words per minute (wpm) in dry eye subjects and 163 wpm in controls (p=0.006). Prolonged silent reading speed averaged 199 wpm in dry eye subjects versus 226 wpm in controls (p=0.03). In multivariable regression models, out-loud and sustained silent reading speeds were 10 wpm (95% CI-20 to-1 wpm, p=0.039) and 14% (95% CI-25% to-2%, p=0.032) slower, respectively, in dry eye subjects as compared with controls. Greater corneal staining was associated with slower out-loud (-2 wpm/1 unit increase in staining score, 95% CI =-3 to-0.3 wpm) and silent (-2%, 95% CI-4 to-0.6 wpm) reading speeds (p<0.02 for both). Significant interactions were found between OSDI score and word-specific features (longer and less commonly used words) on out-loud reading speed (p<0.05 for both). Conclusions Dry eye is associated with slower out-loud and silent reading speeds, providing direct evidence regarding the functional impact of dry eye. Reading speed represents a measurable clinical finding that correlates directly with dry eye severity.
AB - Background/aims To evaluate the impact of dry eye on reading performance. Methods Out-loud and silent reading in patients with clinically significant dry eye (n=41) and controls (n=50) was evaluated using standardised texts. Dry eye measures included tear film break-up time, Schirmer's test and corneal epithelial staining. Symptoms were assessed by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). Results The dry eye group had a greater proportion of women as compared with the control group but did not differ in age, race, education level or visual acuity (p≥0.05 for all). Out-loud reading speed averaged 148 words per minute (wpm) in dry eye subjects and 163 wpm in controls (p=0.006). Prolonged silent reading speed averaged 199 wpm in dry eye subjects versus 226 wpm in controls (p=0.03). In multivariable regression models, out-loud and sustained silent reading speeds were 10 wpm (95% CI-20 to-1 wpm, p=0.039) and 14% (95% CI-25% to-2%, p=0.032) slower, respectively, in dry eye subjects as compared with controls. Greater corneal staining was associated with slower out-loud (-2 wpm/1 unit increase in staining score, 95% CI =-3 to-0.3 wpm) and silent (-2%, 95% CI-4 to-0.6 wpm) reading speeds (p<0.02 for both). Significant interactions were found between OSDI score and word-specific features (longer and less commonly used words) on out-loud reading speed (p<0.05 for both). Conclusions Dry eye is associated with slower out-loud and silent reading speeds, providing direct evidence regarding the functional impact of dry eye. Reading speed represents a measurable clinical finding that correlates directly with dry eye severity.
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U2 - 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2015-308237
DO - 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2015-308237
M3 - Article
C2 - 27450145
AN - SCOPUS:84979025575
SN - 0007-1161
VL - 101
SP - 481
EP - 486
JO - British Journal of Ophthalmology
JF - British Journal of Ophthalmology
IS - 4
ER -