The Influence Of Personality On The Quality Of Vision After Multifocal Intraocular Lens Implantation

To assess the possible correlation between patients’ personality traits and subjective perception of quality of vision (QoV), after multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) implantation.

Following cataract surgery with multifocal IOL implantation, patients answered the NEO-FFI-20 questionnaire to assess personality traits, and scores were calculated for each of the “Big-Five personality dimensions” – openness to experience (O), conscientiousness (C), extraversion (E), agreeableness (A) and neuroticism (N). Postoperatively, uncorrected and corrected distance, intermediate and near visual acuities were assessed and patients were given a questionnaire to evaluate subjective QoV. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistical analyses.

Twenty patients were included, 10 submitted to extended depth-of-focus (AcrySof® IQ Vivity) IOL implantation and 10 submitted to trifocal lenses (AcrySof® IQ PanOptix). Mean age was 60.2±7 years and 13 were female. Extraversion scores were significantly lower in patients who reported hazy vision (p=.025) multiple images (p=.049), fluctuation in vision (p=.04) and difficulty judging distance (p=.004). Openness to experience influenced difficulty judging distance (p=.014) namely in patients with lower scores. In addition, patients with higher scores of conscientiousness reported higher frequency (p=.031) and intensity (p=.037) of photic phenomena. No significant differences regarding QoV answers were found between the two IOL designs (p>.05).

In this study, personality traits such as extraversion, openness to experience and conscientiousness significantly influenced QoV perception after multifocal lens implantation. Patients’ personality questionnaires could be useful as a preoperative assessment test to determine adequacy and ideal type of multifocal IOL.