Journal List > J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > v.59(3) > 1010867

Kim, Kim, Shin, Lim, Choi, Cho, Kim, Kim, and Tchah: Reduction of Blue Light Emission in Internet-protocol Television and Its Effect on Ocular Fatigue

Abstract

Purpose

The blue light emitted from electronic devices may be harmful to the eye. We investigated whether internet-protocol television (TV) with lowered blue light emission reduced ocular fatigue.

Methods

A total of 98 healthy subjects were recruited. They watched an animated movie (A) and an identical version except for reduced blue light (B), sequentially for 1 hour in random order. Before and after watching the movies, we measured the distance and near refraction and tear break-up time objectively. Ocular discomfort score and the earliest onset time of the ocular fatigue symptoms were also measured using our specially designed subjective ocular discomfort scale.

Results

The median age of the participants was 28.5 years, and there were 56 females out of 98 total participants. Both distance and near refraction were not significantly different before versus after watching the movies, nor between viewing movies A and B. However, the accommodative amplitude measured by subtracting the near refraction from the distance refraction was found to be greater after watching movie B compared with movie A in a subset of subjects with hyperopia [1.92 vs. 1.72 diopters (D) for the right eye and 2.14 vs. 1.83 D for the left eye; p = 0.04 and p < 0.01, respectively]. The ocular discomfort score was lower (15.40 vs. 12.85; p = 0.10), but not significantly, and the earliest ocular fatigue onset time was significantly delayed (23.48 vs. 34.51 minutes; p < 0.01), after watching movie B.

Conclusions

Reduction of blue light emission alleviated ocular fatigue caused by TV displays. Watching TV with lower blue light may provide benefits to hyperopic individuals by reducing eye strain and improving the accommodative amplitude.

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Measurement of refraction using an open-field autorefractor b (WAM-5500, Grand Seiko, Tokyo, Japan). Measuring both distance and near refraction allowed us to calculate the degree of near accommodation.

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Figure 2

Eye tracking test using the SMI Eye Tracking Glasses 2 Wireless (Sensory Motoric Instruments, Teltow, Germany). Fixation was continuously traced while watching videos.

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Table 1

Demographics of subjects

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Values are presented as mean ± SD unless otherwise indicated. ‘Group A’ means ‘subjects watching control video after test video with a 30-minute-intermission’ and ‘Group B’ means ‘subjects watching test video after control video with a 30-minute-intermission’. Myopia was defined when the myopic refractive error was −1.0 diopter or greater. Hyperopia was defined when the refractive error was higher than 0 diopter.

OD = right eye; OS = left eye.

Table 2

Mean tear break-up time of the right eye after watching control and test video (seconds)

jkos-59-230-i002

‘Group A’ means ‘subjects watching control video after test video with a 30-minute-intermission’ and ‘Group B’ means ‘subjects watching test video after control video with a 30-minute-intermission’.

*2-tailed paired t-test; Repeated measured analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Table 3

Monocular accommodation responses after watching control and test video (diopters)

jkos-59-230-i003

‘Group A’ means ‘subjects watching control video after test video with a 30-minute-intermission’ and ‘Group B’ means ‘subjects watching test video after control video with a 30-minute-intermission’. Myopia was defined when the myopic refractive error was −1.0 diopter or greater. Hyperopia was defined when the refractive error was higher than 0 diopter.

*2-tailed paired t-test; Repeated measured analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Table 4

The score of the ODAS and the earliest onset time of ocular fatigue after watching videos

jkos-59-230-i004

‘Group A’ means ‘subjects watching test video, after control video’ and ‘Group B’ means ‘subjects watching control video, after test video’. ODAS = ocular discomfort analog scale.

*2-tailed paired t-test.

Notes

This study was conducted from February to May 2017 under written research agreement between the LG U plus and the Korean Ophthalmological Society.

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