Effect of Reading Duration on Corneal Aberrations in Saudi Population

Abstract Aim: This study aims to investigate the effect of short-term and long-term reading on overall corneal aberrations. Subjects and Methods: Twenty-four adults with normal ocular health were recruited. The subjects were instructed to refrain from sustained reading (e.g., reading a book) on the day of data collection. The experiment included one baseline session and two reading sessions, conducted in the morning approximately 3–4 h after waking (between 8:00 am and 12:00 pm). To avoid systematic bias, one eye was randomly selected for measurements. Baseline corneal aberration data were obtained through three consecutive measurements using the Pentacam-AXL. Subsequently, participants read a book for 10 min, followed by another set of three measurements. Afterward, participants continued reading for 30 min, after which three more measurements were collected. Reading sessions were conducted in a photopic illuminated room, allowing participants to maintain a comfortable head posture. Results: The study found no significant changes in the corneal Zernike coefficient after the 10-min or 30-min reading sessions compared to baseline measurements ( P > 0.05). Near-significant trends were observed for horizontal prism Z 1 1 ( P = 0.069) and trefoil Z 3 3 ( P = 0.083). Conclusions: The findings indicate that reading for up to 30 min does not affect the accuracy of refractive or corneal topography measurements. This information could be valuable for future studies investigating corneal topographical and optical changes during longer reading sessions. It may also help in developing strategies to monitor prolonged visual tasks.