MP is strongly related to improvements in glare disability and photostress recovery in a manner strongly consistent with its spectral absorption and spatial profile. Four to 6 months of 12 mg daily L + Z supplementation significantly increases MPOD and improves visual performance in glare for most subjects.

MP correlates with three aspects of visual performance in glare. Unlike previous studies of MP and glare, the present study used free-viewing conditions, in which effects of iris pigmentation and pupil size could be accounted for. The effects described, therefore, can be extended more confidently to real-world, practical visual performance benefits. Greater iris constriction resulted (paradoxically) in greater visual discomfort. This finding may be attributable to the neurobiologic mechanism that mediates the pain elicited by light.

MP is strongly related to improvements in glare disability and photostress recovery in a manner consistent with its spectral absorption and spatial profile.

Foveal MP was positively and significantly related to foveal width in the entire study group. This relationship may be determined by the greater length of the cone axons (Henle fibers) in wider foveas. MPOD was unrelated to foveal thickness in the white subjects. However, in the nonwhite subjects there was a positive association between MFT and MPOD at the 0.25 degrees and 0.5 degrees eccentricities, suggesting that other personal characteristics modulate the MPOD-retinal thickness relationship.

Thresholds for photophobia (light-induced discomfort) were determined at wavelengths from 440 to 640 nm for three subjects. Photophobia was assessed by means of electromyography, which was used to measure subjects' level of squinting. After correction for absorption by macular pigment and the ocular media, subjects' functions displayed a trend of increasing sensitivity with decreasing wavelength. We propose that the corrected function is indicative of increased sensitivity to potential retinal damage by short-wavelength light. It is therefore suggested that photophobia serves a function of biological protection. Results also suggest that photophobia is significantly mitigated by macular pigment in the short wavelengths.

No abstract

The dramatic rise in the use of smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers over the past decade has raised concerns about potentially deleterious health effects of increased “screen time” (ST) and associated short-wavelength (blue) light exposure. We determined baseline associations and effects of 6 months’ supplementation with the macular carotenoids (MC) lutein, zeaxanthin, and mesozeaxanthin on the blue-absorbing macular pigment (MP) and measures of sleep quality, visual performance, and physical indicators of excessive ST. Forty-eight healthy young adults with at least 6 h of daily near-field ST exposure participated in this placebo-controlled trial. Visual performance measures included contrast sensitivity, critical flicker fusion, disability glare, and photostress recovery. Physical indicators of excessive screen time and sleep quality were assessed via questionnaire. MP optical density (MPOD) was assessed via heterochromatic flicker photometry. At baseline, MPOD was correlated significantly with all visual performance measures (p < 0.05 for all). MC supplementation (24 mg daily) yielded significant improvement in MPOD, overall sleep quality, headache frequency, eye strain, eye fatigue, and all visual performance measures, versus placebo (p < 0.05 for all). Increased MPOD significantly improves visual performance and, in turn, improves several undesirable physical outcomes associated with excessive ST. The improvement in sleep quality was not directly related to increases in MPOD, and may be due to systemic reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation.

The degree of spatial summation found for PP indicates that an increase of 1.0 log unit in field area results in an approximately 0.57-log-unit decrease in the radiance required to elicit PP. PP appears to serve the function of retinal photoprotection.