Seniors who get new lenses implanted during cataract surgery may not only see better but also experience better sleep, suggests a new study of how light entering the eye regulates the body’s internal clock.
In the small laboratory study, researchers determined that people with new lenses spent more time in deep sleep and performed better on tests of cognition than healthy age-matched individuals, according to the results published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
“The main take home message is that cataract lens replacement may be associated with improved circadian rhythms, better cognitive performance and improved sleep,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Sarah Chellappa, of Harvard Medical School in Boston.
“This is one of the first laboratory studies with patients with previous cataracts to show that intraocular lens replacement had beneficial effects on key aspects of physiology and behavior,” Chellappa noted in an email.
