Visual function improvement using photocromic and selective blue-violet light filtering spectacle lenses in patients affected by retinal diseases

Background: To evaluate functional visual parameters using photocromic and selective blue-violet light filtering spectacle lenses in patients affected by central or peripheral scotoma due to retinal diseases. Sixty patients were enrolled in this study: 30 patients affected by central scotoma, group 1, and 30 affected by peripheral scotoma, group 2. Black on White Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BW-BCVA), White on Black Best Corrected Visual Acuity (WB-BCVA), Mars Contrast Sensitivity (CS) and a Glare Test (GT) were performed to all patients. Test results with blue-violet filter, a short-pass yellow filter and with no filters were compared. Results: All scores from test results increased significantly with blue-violet filters for all patients. The mean BW-BCVA increased from 0.30 +/- 0.20 to 0.36 +/- 0.21 decimals in group 1 and from 0.44 +/- 0.22 to 0.51 +/- 0. 23 decimals in group 2 (Mean +/- SD, p < 0.0001 in both cases). The mean WB-BCVA increased from 0.31 +/- 0.19 to 0.38 +/- 0.23 decimals in group 1 and from 0.46 +/- 0.20 to 0.56 +/- 0. 22 decimals in group 2 (Mean +/- SD, p < 0.0001 in both cases). The letter count for the CS test increased from 26.7 +/- 7.9 to 30.06 +/- 7.8 in group 1 (Mean +/- SD, p = 0.0005) and from 31.5 +/- 7.6 to 33.72 +/- 7.3 in group 2 (Mean +/- SD, p = 0.031). GT was significantly reduced: the letter count increased from 20.93 +/- 5.42 to 22.82 +/- 4.93 in group 1 (Mean +/- SD, p < 0.0001) and from 24.15 +/- 5.5 to 25.97 +/- 4.7 in group 2 (Mean +/- SD, p < 0.0001). Higher scores were recorded with the Blue filter compared to Yellow filter in all tests (p < 0.05). No significant differences in any test results could be detected between the Yellow filter and the No filter condition. Conclusions: The use of a combination of photocromic lens with a selective blue-violet light filter showed functional benefit in all evaluated patients.