Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Quasielastic light scattering study of the living human lens as a function of age.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Thurston, GM; Hayden, DL; Burrows, P; Clark, JI; Taret, VG; Kandel, J; Courogen, M; Peetermans, JA; Bowen, MS; Miller, D; Sullivan, KM ...
Published in: Curr Eye Res
March 1997

PURPOSE: To determine contributions of molecular scattering elements to the increase with age in the light scattered from the human ocular lens in vivo. METHODS: We used quasielastic light scattering to measure autocorrelation functions of the intensity of light scattered in vivo from three locations (anterior, nuclear and posterior) along the optic axis in ocular lenses of 225 subjects, ranging from 17 to 63 years of age. We deduced probability distributions of key parameters (Is, If, Ii, IT), which describe contributions of slowly diffusing (Is), rapidly diffusing (If) and relatively immobile (Ii) scattering elements to the total light intensity (IT) scattered into the collection optics. We deduced characteristic time tau s and tau f that describe the Brownian motion of scattering elements. RESULTS: Probability distributions for each age decile show clearly defined shifts in key parameters with age. IT at the nucleus increases by a factor of three from age 20 to 60 years. This increase is produced principally by an approximate five-fold increase is Is. IT and Is and can be detected with an accuracy of approximately +/- 10%. We estimate threshold values for IT, which mark the boundary beyond which clinical cataract becomes manifest. This boundary represents 6 to 8 times the light scattering efficiency expected from the newborn lens. CONCLUSIONS: This methodology permits a sensitive, quantitative, clinically useful representation of the pre-cataractous molecular changes associated with aging in the living human lens.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Curr Eye Res

DOI

ISSN

0271-3683

Publication Date

March 1997

Volume

16

Issue

3

Start / End Page

197 / 207

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Light
  • Lens, Crystalline
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Thurston, G. M., Hayden, D. L., Burrows, P., Clark, J. I., Taret, V. G., Kandel, J., … Benedek, G. B. (1997). Quasielastic light scattering study of the living human lens as a function of age. Curr Eye Res, 16(3), 197–207. https://doi.org/10.1076/ceyr.16.3.197.15410
Thurston, G. M., D. L. Hayden, P. Burrows, J. I. Clark, V. G. Taret, J. Kandel, M. Courogen, et al. “Quasielastic light scattering study of the living human lens as a function of age.Curr Eye Res 16, no. 3 (March 1997): 197–207. https://doi.org/10.1076/ceyr.16.3.197.15410.
Thurston GM, Hayden DL, Burrows P, Clark JI, Taret VG, Kandel J, et al. Quasielastic light scattering study of the living human lens as a function of age. Curr Eye Res. 1997 Mar;16(3):197–207.
Thurston, G. M., et al. “Quasielastic light scattering study of the living human lens as a function of age.Curr Eye Res, vol. 16, no. 3, Mar. 1997, pp. 197–207. Pubmed, doi:10.1076/ceyr.16.3.197.15410.
Thurston GM, Hayden DL, Burrows P, Clark JI, Taret VG, Kandel J, Courogen M, Peetermans JA, Bowen MS, Miller D, Sullivan KM, Storb R, Stern H, Benedek GB. Quasielastic light scattering study of the living human lens as a function of age. Curr Eye Res. 1997 Mar;16(3):197–207.
Journal cover image

Published In

Curr Eye Res

DOI

ISSN

0271-3683

Publication Date

March 1997

Volume

16

Issue

3

Start / End Page

197 / 207

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Ophthalmology & Optometry
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Light
  • Lens, Crystalline
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical