Experimental studies of emmetropization in the chick

The eyes of neonates grow from ametropia (refractive error) toward emmetropia. Whether or not this 'emmetropization' is visually guided is controversial. I describe experiments which demonstrate that in the chick refractive state is used to regulate the growth of the eye's vitreous chamber in order to achieve emmetropia from hyperopia or myopia that is induced by different visual deprivations. I discuss several studies that begin to examine the neural pathways that might be involved in the control of eye growth. Optic nerve section was used to examine the level of visual processing necessary for the control of eye growth. Eyes in which the optic nerve has been cut can still grow in the appropriate direction to correct induced hyperopia or myopia. Nevertheless, an intact optic nerve is necessary for normal refractions to be achieved; eyes with optic nerve section overshoot control levels and reverse the sign of the initial refractive error. These findings suggest that eye growth in chicks is controlled by an intraocular mechanism and possibly by a brain-mediated mechanism as well. The hypothesis that ocular accommodation is integral to the control of eye growth was also tested. Complete recovery from induced refractive errors was achieved even when accommodation had been abolished by lesions of the Edinger-Westphal nucleus. The elimination of accommodation did not prevent the ability of chick eyes to compensate for the defocus of spectacle lenses. These results suggest that accommodation is not necessary for the control of eye growth.