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Variability of the accommodation response in early onset myopia
Trine Langaas1, Patricia M Riddell, Ellen Svarverud
1Department of Optometry and Visual Science, Buskerud University College, Kongsberg, Norway. trine.langaas@hibu.no
Summary
Children with early onset myopia exhibit greater accommodative variability than their peers. This increased variability may contribute to retinal blur and the development of myopia.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Biology
- Vision Science
Background:
- Hyperopic retinal defocus is a proposed etiological factor in myopia development.
- Accommodative lag and response variability are implicated in increased hyperopic retinal blur.
- Previous research on accommodative lag in myopia shows inconsistent findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate accommodative lag and response variability in children with early onset myopia.
- To compare accommodative function between myopic and emmetropic children.
- To explore the relationship between accommodative variability and myopia etiology in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Eccentric photorefraction (PowerRefractor) was used for dynamic accommodation and pupil size measurements.
- Twenty-one myopic and 18 emmetropic children were tested.
- Participants viewed targets at three accommodative demands (0.25 D, 2 D, and 4 D).
Main Results:
- No significant differences in accommodative lag were observed between myopic and emmetropic children.
- Myopic children demonstrated significantly greater accommodative response variability.
- This increased variability was noted for both near (4 D) and far (0.25 D) targets.
Conclusions:
- Children with early onset myopia exhibit greater accommodative variability compared to emmetropic children.
- The patterns of accommodative variability in these children resemble those of adult late-onset myopes.
- Increased accommodative variability may contribute to retinal blur and play a role in the pathogenesis of myopia.
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