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Published on: April 3, 2016
Short-term effectiveness and safety of photobiomodulation on low-to-moderate myopia
Jun Ren1, Jiang-Ning Xu2, Yu-Zhen Liu1
1Aier School of Ophthalmology, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Insights
Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy effectively slowed myopia progression in children by reducing axial length and spherical equivalent refractive error over three months. This safe treatment showed no adverse effects on visual function or retinal structure.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Optics
Background:
- Myopia is a growing global health concern, particularly in children.
- Current myopia control methods have limitations.
- Photobiomodulation (PBM) presents a novel therapeutic approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of short-term Photobiomodulation (PBM) in managing low-to-moderate myopia in children.
- To evaluate the safety profile of PBM treatment on ocular structures and visual function.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 57 children with low-to-moderate myopia.
- The PBM group received a three-month treatment using a 650 nm low-energy semiconductor laser.
- The control group received no intervention. Changes in axial length (AL) and spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) were measured.
Main Results:
- PBM treatment significantly reduced AL by 0.07 mm and SER by -0.12 D compared to the control group.
- No significant adverse effects on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), or retinal thickness were observed.
- Superficial retinal vascular density showed a slight decrease, while central choroid thickness increased slightly without statistical significance.
Conclusions:
- Short-term PBM therapy is effective in suppressing myopia progression in children.
- PBM treatment demonstrates a favorable safety profile for ocular tissues and visual function.
- PBM offers a promising non-invasive therapeutic option for myopia control.
Abstract:
To find and assess the effectiveness and safety of short-term Photobiomodulation (PBM) treatment in children with low-to-moderate myopia. Children with low-to-moderate myopia were recruited and divided into PBM or control groups based on whether they received PBM treatment. The PBM group underwent a three-month treatment with a 650 nm low-energy semiconductor laser, while the control group did not receive any therapeutic intervention. At the end of the trial, the changes in spherical equivalent refractive (SER) and axial length (AL) before and after treatment were compared between the PBM group and the control group to evaluate the effectiveness of PBM in preventing myopia. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT), ganglion cell layer thickness (GCLT), central point retinal thickness (CPRT), 3-mm subfield central retinal thickness (3 mm-CRT), superficial retinal vascular density (SCP), and central choroid thickness (CCT) were self-compared to assess the safety of PBM. A total of 57 subjects were prospectively followed from October 2020 to September 2021, comprising 28 participants (56 eyes) in the PBM group and 29 participants (58 eyes) in the control group. After three months of treatment, the AL decreased by 0.07 ± 0.11 mm, and the SER decreased by -0.12 ± 0.39 D in the PBM group. However, both SER and AL increased in the control group. Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences between the PBM and control groups (p < 0.01). The BCVA, RNFLT, GCLT, CPRT, and 3 mm-CRT remained almost unchanged in the PBM group; The SCP decreased from 0.37 ± 0.03 to 0.35 ± 0.02 in the PBM group with a statistically significant difference before and after treatment (p = 0.045). The CCT increased from 255 ± 41 µm to 274 ± 29 µm in the PBM group without any significant difference before and after treatment. The administration of PBM significantly suppresses the elevation of AL and SER following a three-month duration. No significant adverse effects were observed on visual function and retinal morphology.Trial Registration: This study is registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (registration number: NCT04604405).
