Effect Of Treatment With Systane Ultra Preservative-Free In Symptomatology And Visual Task Performance In Digital Device Users.

Higher visual demands associated with the use of visual display terminals (VDT) can lead a variety of ocular symptoms usually described as computer visual syndrome (CVS), that adversely affect to quality of life and productivity and could trigger other eye conditions such as dry eye, ocular-surface abnormalities, or accommodative spasms. CVS management requires multidirectional approach however limited reports have assessed the role of tear drops reducing CVS symptoms. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the Systane Ultra UD preservative-free (Alcon) on CVS symptomatology and visual task performance in a sample of digital display users.

University of Valladolid, Valladolid (Spain).

30 VDT users (>4h/day) with dryness (OSDI: range 13-24) and CVS symptomatology (CVSS17: range 29-42) were enrolled to use Systane Ultra UD four times a day for one month. Three visits were scheduled (initial, one week, one month) in which the OSDI and CVSS17 questionnaires were performed. Six computer simple tasks (silent reading text, watch a video, count shapes, find pairs of numbers, detect word equality and image localization) were monitored with eye-tracker (blink rate and eye fixations). Out-loud reading speed (IReST texts) was determined before and after performing all tasks on the computer, recording the reading speed -words read per minute (wpm)- and the normalized value (dividing wpm by the expected mean speed for IReST texts).

The symptomatology of the VDT users improved in both questionnaires; the OSDI (from 19.99±3.20 to 10.52±6.04; P<0.01) and CVSS17 questionnaire (from 35.70±3.72 to 27.27±4.43; P<0.01) after one month of Systane Ultra UD eyedrops use. Out-loud reading speed did not vary significantly between visits, although a slightly improving in the normalized value after using the computer between initial (0.99±0.13) and final (1.02±0.15; P<0.01) visits was found. The blink rate and eye fixations per minute conducting assessed visual tasks on the computer did not show statistically significantly differences between visits (P>0.05).

The use of Systane Ultra UD preservative-free (prescribed 4 times per day) along one month allows a significant relief in dryness symptomatology (decreasing OSDI questionnaire score) and an improvement in symptoms related with digital device use (decreasing CVSS17 questionnaire score) in digital device users. Symptoms relief does not improve statistically visual task efficacy, but reading speed was slightly improved after the study (normalized values).