The effect of reading during the latency period of a cycloplegic upon the refractive endpoint of the cycloplegic exam

Abstract

The cycloplegic refraction is a useful tool for determining the refractive error of a patient, but it is important for the accommodative system to be both fully paralyzed and completely relaxed when determining this endpoint. This study compared the cycloplegic refractive endpoints of twenty-two subjects on two separate occasions to determine if the activities performed by the patient during the latency period of the cycloplegic agent influenced the refractive endpoints. The subjects performed a near task of reading after drop instillation during one sess10n and a far task of viewing television during the other. The results show no significant difference between the endpoints of the cycloplegic refraction after either task.