• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.177-184
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• 2012

Purpose: In this study, the effect of the eye movement direction on visual function related to accommodation was investigated when playing computer games for a certain period of time. Methods: Total 60 subjects in 20s who had the visual acuity of 1.0 or higher without any ocular disease and accommodative dysfunction were asked to play computer games separately in horizontal and vertical directions for 40 and 90 minutes and then measured their accommodative amplitude, accommodative facility, accommodative lag and relative accommodations. Thevisual function when not doing the computer game was regarded as a control value, and further compared and analyzed. Results: The accommodative amplitude, accommodative facility, accommodative lag and relative accommodations showed the tendency of decrease after the computer game for 40 minutes, and more reduced values of the visual functions were shown when the computer game extended up to 90 minutes except positive relative accommodation. Positive relative accommodation had a tendency to increase slightly after the computer game for 90 minutes. Meanwhile, the change of the visual functions was primarily influenced by the eye movement in horizontal direction rather than by the eye movement in vertical direction during computer game when analyzed by the direction of eye movement. Conclusions: Over all accommodative functions tended to decrease with the extended VDT working time by computer game, and the frequent eye movement in horizontal direction during VDT tasks could be the main cause of eyestrain since the eye movement in horizontal direction rather than vertical direction significantly affected the change of accommodative function.