The first year data from the ongoing CYPRESS randomized clinical trial show that Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT) spectacle lenses can regulate contrast signals across the retina to reduce myopia progression in children aged 6-10 years, and are safe and effective to wear.
The contrast theory in myopia development and control is based on links between retinal cone expressions, genetics and myopia. This is distinct from peripheral defocus and simultaneous defocus theories and underpins the new SightGlass DOT 0.2 spectacle lens for myopia control. Learn more here.
This study examines the effect that dual focus contact lenses have on accommodation and defocus during near viewing, and the results provide clues towards understanding the myopia control mechanism of these contact lenses.
With increasing use of axial length to monitor myopia progression, the ratio of refractive error change to axial elongation has important clinical implications. This systematic review determines this ratio and explores factors that influence it.
Caffeine-based eye drops created hyperopic shifts in baby rhesus monkeys during the emmetropization process, and protected against myopia development due to induced hyperopic defocus. The serum level of caffeine was similar to one cup of coffee in a human adult. This potential future myopia treatment requires further research on dosage, benefits and side effects before use in humans.
This new systematic review and meta-analysis has evaluated use of smartphones and tablets separately to computer use and other non-screen based near work. Results are still mixed but overall there was a trend for a slightly increased risk with mobile device use alone, which increased when combined with computer use. More objective measures of screen time are needed to further explore this link.
This multi-ethnic study found that parental myopia was a risk factor for myopia development in pre-school age children. The age the parents became myopic themselves had a dose-dependent effect in their children if both parents had onset of myopia before age 12. Eye care practitioners can use this to identify which children may benefit from early myopia treatment intervention.
Young adults wearing the spectacle-mounted Clouclip device to measure viewing behaviour and light exposure also kept an activity diary. Mean daily near work and outdoor time were subjectively reported at about 150% of the objectively measured hours. This indicates the value of objective measures in research, as well as for clinical education and behaviour modification tools in future.
Light-emitting glasses worn by young adults for 1-2 hours reduced axial length and increased choroidal thickness by around 20 microns compared to darkness. The study participants viewed a colour-muted television at 5m while indoors, and the changes regressed within 30 minutes. A future myopia treatment to increase ‘outdoor’ time?
This study measured central and relative peripheral refraction (RPR) in children aged 6-7 years and 12-13 years at baseline and again one year later. There was no correlation found between central and peripheral refraction in the younger group. In the older group, more hyperopic temporal RPR was correlated with a myopic shift, but only explained 10% of the variance in refraction after 12 months.
