Accommodative changes produced in response to overnight orthokeratology.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Vision Science

Background:

• Orthokeratology (OK) is a myopia control method using specialized contact lenses worn overnight.
• Understanding the impact of OK on ocular accommodation is crucial for patient safety and efficacy.
• Previous research has yielded mixed results regarding OK's effect on accommodation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate short-term (3 months) and long-term (3 years) accommodative changes after overnight orthokeratology (OK) in young adults with low to moderate myopia.
• To compare accommodative function between OK lens wearers and a control group.
• To assess the long-term effects of OK on accommodative parameters.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, longitudinal study involving 93 young adult myopic subjects.
• Participants were divided into short-term follow-up groups (control, Paragon CRT, Seefree) and a long-term CRT wearers group.
• Accommodative function was assessed using negative/positive relative accommodation (NRA/PRA), accommodative amplitude (MAA), accommodative lag, and accommodative facility (MAF).

Main Results:

• No statistically significant changes in subjective accommodative results were observed in any short-term group compared to baseline.
• No significant differences in accommodative tests were found between the three short-term groups.
• Only NRA showed a significant difference when comparing short-term and long-term CRT groups (p=0.0006).

Conclusions:

• Overnight orthokeratology does not induce significant changes in ocular accommodative function.
• Accommodative parameters remain stable in the short-term and long-term following OK lens wear.
• OK is a viable myopia control option with no adverse effects on accommodative function.