Statistical analysis of the relationship between higher-order aberrations and the spherical component of refraction

Statistical analysis of the relationship between the level of the higher-order aberrations (HOAs) and the spherical component of refraction was conducted. We studied 385 eyes of patients, divided by clinical refraction, into 7 groups with low myopia (77 eyes), moderate severe myopia (123 eyes), high myopia (58 eyes), emmetropic eyes (22 eyes) and eyes with low, moderate and high hyperopia (19, 28 and 31 eyes, respectively). The total level of the lower- and HOAs and the integral level of the HOAs and spherical component of the eye refraction were obtained with the WASCA aberrometer based on Hartmann-Schack technology. Results: The correlation between the spherical component of the eye refraction and the HOAs is significant for the joined group of all eyes ( r = -0.26). The measured HOAs are significantly different for the following pairs of the eyes groups: the eyes with moderate myopia and high hyperopia; high myopia and emmetropia; high myopia and high hyperopia and for the eyes with moderate myopia and emmetropia. Conclusions: HOAs are common in both emmetropic (with normal vision) and ammetropic (with refractive errors) eyes. In addition, in eyes with moderate and high degree of myopia, there is an increase in the number of observed aberrations.