Blink Rate, Blink Amplitude, and Tear Film Integrity during Dynamic Visual Display Terminal Tasks

Material and Methods: A total of 25 healthy, young volunteers participated in the study. Blink rate and blink amplitude were recorded in silent primary gaze conditions and while subjects were playing two computer games of similar cognitive demands but different rate of visual information presentation. For each experimental condition, tear volume was evaluated by measuring meniscus height and with the red phenol thread test. Fluorescein and non-invasive break-up time tests, as well as the observation of interference patterns and the estimation of the dry area extension, were employed to assess tear stability. Results: Statistically significant differences were revealed in blink rate (F == 595.85, p < 0.001) and blink amplitude (chi chi