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A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effect of 0.01% Atropine Eye Drops Combined with Auricular Acupoint Stimulation
Xie-He Kong1, Yue Zhao1, Zhi Chen2,3,4
1Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai 200030, China.
Insights
Adding auricular acupoint stimulation (AAS) to low-dose atropine eye drops (0.01% A) slightly slowed myopia progression in children. However, this combination therapy did not impact axial length or choroidal thickness over six months.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric eye care
- Myopia management
Background:
- 0.01% atropine eye drops are a common myopia control treatment for children in Asia.
- Auricular acupoint stimulation (AAS) has shown potential to enhance myopia control with higher atropine concentrations.
- This study investigates the efficacy of combining 0.01% atropine with AAS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effects of 0.01% atropine eye drops alone versus 0.01% atropine plus AAS on myopia progression.
- To assess the impact on choroidal thickness in children undergoing myopia control treatment.
Main Methods:
- 104 children were randomized into two groups: 0.01% atropine or 0.01% atropine + AAS.
- Treatments were administered for 6 months.
- Cycloplegic refraction, axial length, and choroidal thickness were measured at baseline and at 1, 3, and 6 months.
Main Results:
- The 0.01% atropine + AAS group showed a statistically significant, albeit small, reduction in spherical equivalent change compared to 0.01% atropine alone (-0.25 D vs. -0.38 D).
- No significant differences were observed in the changes of axial length between the two groups.
- Choroidal thickness changes were also not significantly different between the treatment groups.
Conclusions:
- Adjunctive AAS to 0.01% atropine offers a statistically minor benefit in slowing myopic progression in Chinese children.
- The combination therapy did not influence axial elongation or choroidal thickness over the 6-month study period.
- Further research may be needed to explore long-term effects and optimal application of AAS in myopia control.
Background:
Use of 0.01% atropine eye drops (0.01% A) is one of the most common treatments for myopia control for children in Asia. Auricular acupoint stimulation (AAS) was reported to enhance the effect of higher-concentration atropine (0.25%, 0.125%) on myopia control. This study was designed to compare the effect of 0.01% A combined with AAS and 0.01% A alone on myopia progression and choroidal thickness in children.
Methods:
A total of 104 children were stratified by age and randomly assigned at 1 : 1 to receive 0.01% A or 0.01% A + AAS treatment for 6 months. Repeated measurements of cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) autorefraction, axial length (AL), and choroidal thickness were performed at baseline, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months.
Results:
The adjusted mean SE change over the 6 months was -0.38 ± 0.04 D in the 0.01% A group (n = 50) and -0.25 ± 0.04 D in the 0.01% A + AAS group (n = 50), demonstrating a significant between-group difference (P = 0.02). There was no statistically significant difference in the change of AL and choroidal thickness between the two groups (both P > 0.05).
Conclusions:
Adjunctive AAS compared with 0.01% A monotherapy slowed myopic progression in Chinese children by a statistically small amount, but had no effect on axial elongation and choroidal thickness during this 6-month observation. The trial is registered with ChiCTR1900021316.
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