This prospective observational study found that DIMS spectacle lenses, atropine 0.01% and the combination of the two all showed robust efficacy for myopia control in European children. The combination treatment showed slightly better refractive control than the mono-therapies, but axial length growth was similar in all treatment groups.
Spectacle lenses for myopia control provide a clear central zone and a ‘treatment’ area for myopic defocus. This study found that atropine 0.01% and glare situations had minimal impacts on visual performance when adults wore the DIMS spectacle lens. This indicates likely tolerance of the combination in children.
This retrospective study from Ireland found that despite recent increases in practitioners fitting myopia control contact lenses in Ireland, more than 60% of children were still managed with single vision correction only. Improving the prescribing rates of evidence-based myopia control treatments will ensure progressing myopes are less likely to miss appropriate intervention opportunities.
This study found the risk of microbial keratitis for children fitted with contact lenses for myopia control was less than the risk of visual impairment from myopia progression to over 3D or axial lengths exceeding 26mm. If worn throughout childhood, the extra benefits of myopia control contact lenses outweigh the risks of infection, especially if the lenses are daily disposable.
This review investigated 18 years of practice data for the predictability, efficacy and safety of long-term ortho-k wear. The results showed that for at least one year’s wear, there was good efficacy and predictability of target refraction. Although corneal staining was common, serious adverse effects were found to be rare, particularly for children.
Previous studies have explored a link between choroidal thickness measures and myopia development. This longitudinal study found that although having thinner choroid layers at age 11 were not associated with adolescent myopia or eye length growth, having a longer axial length was predictive of future myopia development and progression.
The first year data from the ongoing CYPRESS randomized clinical trial show that Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT) spectacle lenses can regulate contrast signals across the retina to reduce myopia progression in children aged 6-10 years, and are safe and effective to wear.
Chinese children aged 6-9 years who had bedtimes later than 9:30pm showed a 1.55 fold risk of myopia compared to those with a pre-9pm bedtime, and were also more likely to have myopic parents, wake up later and spend more time reading or on screens than outdoors in a week. There was no relationship found between sleep duration and myopia.
This study found that healthy children may report mild to moderate symptoms of ocular discomfort from prolonged use of digital screens, even if no clinical signs are present. This may be a precursor to future ocular surface disorders.
While 80% of pre-presbyopic adults with Digital Eye Strain symptoms preferred reading with low-addition lenses, the improvement in reading speed was generally small and did not appear to correlate with specific accommodation or binocular vision dysfunctions. In the 8% who showed a significant improvement in reading rate of at least 15%, a majority showed reduced accommodation amplitude.
