Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40543879›Full record

ArticleThe ocular surface2025

Heightened visual light sensitivity discomfort measured by the ocular photosensitivity analyzer is associated with chronic ocular pain.

Ema V Karakoleva, Nicholas Pondelis, Cameron Talbert, Mariela C Aguilar, Alex Gonzalez, Cornelis Rowaan, Heather Durkee, Paula A Sepulveda-Beltran, David Valdes-Arias, Chloe Shields and 8 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The ocular surface, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Ema V KarakolevaSurgical Services, Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Nicholas PondelisBrain and Eye Pain Imaging Lab, Pain and Affective Neuroscience Center, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Cameron TalbertBrain and Eye Pain Imaging Lab, Pain and Affective Neuroscience Center, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Mariela C AguilarBascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Ophthalmic Biophysics Center, Department of Ophthalmology, BPEI, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Alex GonzalezBascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Ophthalmic Biophysics Center, Department of Ophthalmology, BPEI, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Cornelis RowaanBascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Ophthalmic Biophysics Center, Department of Ophthalmology, BPEI, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Heather DurkeeBascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Ophthalmic Biophysics Center, Department of Ophthalmology, BPEI, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Paula A Sepulveda-BeltranSurgical Services, Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
David Valdes-AriasSurgical Services, Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
Chloe ShieldsSurgical Services, Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
Shreya BhattSurgical Services, Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
David ZurakowskiAnesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Deborah S JacobsCornea and Refractive Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Joseph B CiolinoCornea and Refractive Surgery Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Elizabeth R FelixDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Jean-Marie ParelBascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; Ophthalmic Biophysics Center, Department of Ophthalmology, BPEI, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
Eric A MoultonBrain and Eye Pain Imaging Lab, Pain and Affective Neuroscience Center, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: eric.moulton@childrens.harvard.edu.
Anat GalorSurgical Services, Miami Veterans Administration Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA; Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.

Funding

Shared Equipment ModuleP30EY014801 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · PI Victor L Perez · 2004 to 2026
$12.2M
Differentiation of Clinical Phenotypes of Inflammatory and Neuropathic Ocular Pain Conditions with Morphologic Measures and Functional Brain ImagingU01EY034686 · NEI · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI Eric Alan Moulton · 2022 to 2026
$4.7M
Defining bacterial members of the ocular surface microbiome and assessing stability over timeU24EY035102 · NEI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI GALOR, ANAT, ST LEGER, ANTHONY J · 2023 to 2025
$3.3M
Tear protein biomarkers of refractive surgery painR33EY032468 · NEI · OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY · PI AICHER, SUE A, GALOR, ANAT · 2023 to 2025
$2.9M
The trigeminal nociceptive-pain pathway in pediatric mTBI: peripheral and central contributions to photophobiaR01EY034135 · NEI · BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL · PI Scott Holmes, Eric Alan Moulton · 2023 to 2026
$1.9M
BLRD VA I01 BX004893CSRD VA I01 CX002015CSRD VA I01 CX002633NEI NIH HHS P30 EY014801NEI NIH HHS R01 EY034135NEI NIH HHS R33 EY032468NEI NIH HHS U01 EY034686NEI NIH HHS U24 EY035102RRD VA I21 RX003883
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo quantify visual photosensitivity discomfort thresholds (VPDT) in individuals with chronic ocular pain (COP) compared to controls without COP and explore relationships between VPDT, demographics, clinical factors, and ocular metrics.

methodsProspective case-control study of 75 participants: 36 with COP (age 46.5 ± 15.6 years; 56 % female) and 39 controls (39.2 ± 15.6 years; 56 % female). COP was defined by self-reported ocular pain intensity ≥15 on a numerical rating scale (range, 0-100) for ≥3 months. COP cases were subclassified into inflammatory (Sjögren's disease) and neuropathic ocular pain subgroups. VPDT was measured using the Ocular Photosensitivity Analyzer (OPA), and ocular symptoms were assessed using the Visual Light Sensitivity Questionnaire (VLSQ-8; 8-40) and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI; 0-100), with OSDI Question 1 addressing light sensitivity (OSDI-Q1; 0-4).

resultsCOP patients exhibited lower VPDT than controls (log lux, 1.60 ± 1.17 vs. 2.42 ± 1.05; P = 0.006), indicating greater photosensitivity discomfort. No differences in VPDT were seen across COP subtypes. COP patients also reported greater symptom severity than controls, with higher VLSQ-8 (21.92 ± 1.41 vs. 9.03 ± 0.53), OSDI (50.84 ± 3.88 vs. 2.82 ± 0.85), and OSDI-Q1 (2.00 ± 0.24 vs. 0.14 ± 0.06) scores (all P < 0.001). VPDT negatively correlated with VLSQ-8 (ρ = -0.75) and OSDI-Q1 (ρ = -0.62), demonstrating alignment between subjective light sensitivity symptoms and OPA-measured photosensitivity discomfort. Multivariable regression identified fibromyalgia as the strongest predictor of VPDT (19.6 % variance explained), with chronic fatigue improving the model (26.5 %).

conclusionCOP subjects display greater photosensitivity-related discomfort than controls, highlighting the OPA's potential as a psychophysical tool for quantifying photoallodynia. Further research is needed to assess its diagnostic utility across COP subtypes.

Indexed as

Chronic PainEye PainPhotosensitivity DisordersAdultAgedCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansLightMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementProspective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesChronic ocular painFibromyalgiaMigraineOcular photosensitivity analyzer (OPA)PhotoallodyniaSjögren's diseaseVisual photosensitivity discomfort threshold (VPDT)

Identifiers

PMID40543879
PMCPMC12231179

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.