Changes in Choroidal Thickness and Retinal Activity with a Myopia Control Contact Lens

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Physiology
• Myopia Research

Background:

• Axial elongation in myopia is linked to structural and functional retinal changes.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for developing effective myopia control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of a novel myopia control contact lens (CL) on choroidal thickness (ChT) and retinal electrical responses.
• To compare the effects of a radial power gradient CL with a single-vision CL.

Main Methods:

• Ten myopic eyes (spherical equivalents -0.75 to -6.00 D) were fitted with either a single-vision CL or a radial power gradient CL (+1.50 D addition).
• Choroidal thickness (ChT) at various eccentricities and electroretinogram (ERG) parameters (photopic b-wave, PERG) were recorded after 30 minutes of wear.

Main Results:

• The radial power gradient CL significantly increased ChT at multiple eccentricities compared to the single-vision CL.
• The radial power gradient CL significantly decreased the amplitude of the photopic b-wave and PERG components.
• Negative correlations were observed between a-wave and b-wave amplitudes and ChT.

Conclusions:

• The radial power gradient CL effectively increased choroidal thickness, consistent with previous findings.
• These CLs attenuated retinal electrical responses, potentially due to induced peripheral defocus and higher-order aberrations.
• Observed retinal response attenuation suggests possible retrograde feedback signaling from inner to outer retinal layers.