Objective Refraction Status before and after Cycloplegia: From Childhood to Young Adulthood

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Refractive error assessment
• Pediatric optometry

Background:

• Accurate refractive error classification is crucial for timely intervention.
• Cycloplegia is often used to relax accommodation and reveal true refractive error.
• Understanding age-related refractive changes is essential in pediatric eye care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate clinical information obtained after cycloplegia.
• To assess the influence of age and non-cycloplegic refractive status on refractive error classification.
• To determine the relationship between age and cycloplegia-induced refractive error changes.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 472 patient records (aged 3-28 years).
• Cycloplegia induced using cyclopentolate 1%.
• Objective autorefraction performed 30 minutes post-instillation.

Main Results:

• A clinically significant hyperopic shift (≥0.50 D) occurred in 60.2% of participants.
• Hyperopia frequency increased by 34.1%, while myopia and emmetropia decreased.
• The 3-5 years age group showed the largest average spherical equivalent difference (1.18 ± 0.85 D).
• Astigmatism power and axis showed no statistically significant changes.

Conclusions:

• Cycloplegia significantly alters refractive error classification, particularly towards hyperopia in young individuals.
• Age is a key factor in the magnitude of cycloplegia-induced refractive shifts.
• Routine cycloplegic refraction is vital for accurate diagnosis in children and young adults.