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Purpose: To investigate the pharmacological accommodative changes of the anterior segment and its impact on the circumferential anterior chamber angle (ACA) after implantable collamer lens (ICL) implantation using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT)., Setting: Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China., Design: Prospective randomized contralateral eye study., Methods: 8 men and 24 women (mean age, 28.2 ± 5.8 years; range, 19 to 42 years); 64 eyes were included at 3 months after ICL implantation. One eye per patient was randomly assigned to undergo tropicamide instillation (mydriasis group), and the contralateral eye underwent pilocarpine instillation (miosis group). SS-OCT examinations were performed before and after instillation to measure angle parameters. Trabecular-iris angle 500 (TIA 500 ), angle opening distance 500 (AOD 500 ), trabecular-iris space area (TISA 500 ), angle opening distance circumference area 500 (AODA 500 ), trabecular-iris circumference volume 500 (TICV 500 ), and central vault (ICL to crystalline lens [ICL-L]) were evaluated., Results: Relative to baseline levels, TIA 500 , AOD 500 , and TISA 500 values all increased significantly in both groups (all P < .01). AODA 500 and TICV 500 values increased by 19.7% and 12.1%, respectively, in the mydriasis group (all P < .001), and these values similarly increased by 23.4% and 27.7%, respectively, in the miosis group (all P < .001). After instillation, the ICL-L decrease in the miosis group was significantly larger than that in the mydriasis group ( P = .004). Mean AOD 500 , TISA 500 , and TICV 500 in the miosis group were significantly larger than those in the mydriasis group (all P ≤ .036), especially at 8 and 10 o'clock (all P ≤ .014). Correlation analyses indicated that the increase in ACA parameters was positively correlated with the change in ICL-L for both groups., Conclusions: Pilocarpine induced a more significant increase in ACA than tropicamide, because of a different mechanism of anterior segment changes. A circumferential meridian scan to assess angle status is recommended., (Copyright © 2024 Published by Wolters Kluwer on behalf of ASCRS and ESCRS.)

Purpose: This study evaluated the effects of orthokeratology and 0.01% atropine on corneal biomechanical properties (CBPs) and myopia progression in children, focusing on their association with axial length (AL) changes and treatment outcomes., Methods: In this 1-year prospective study, 53 children (aged 8-17 years) were enrolled, with 30 undergoing orthokeratology and 23 receiving 0.01% atropine. CBP parameters, including the Corvis Biomechanical Index (CBI), central corneal thickness (CCT), biomechanically corrected intraocular pressure (bIOP) and stress-strain index (SSI), were assessed at baseline and during follow-ups at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The orthokeratology group was further stratified into good and poor responders based on early myopia reduction., Results: The orthokeratology group exhibited a significant increase in CBI over time, particularly among good responders, while CCT, bIOP and SSI remained stable. In contrast, no significant changes in CBPs were observed in the atropine group. AL elongation showed no significant correlation with CBP changes in either group. The orthokeratology group achieved superior control of myopia progression compared to the atropine group at 12 months, with poor responders exhibiting better long-term AL control., Conclusions: Both orthokeratology and 0.01% atropine were effective in controlling myopia. While atropine had no impact on CBPs, the increase in CBI with orthokeratology may predict early treatment outcomes. However, the initial response to orthokeratology did not guarantee long-term effectiveness, highlighting the need for individualised treatment monitoring., (© 2025 College of Optometrists.)

Objectives: To investigate whether the combination therapy of Myopi-X ® peripheral progressive addition lenses (PAL; Novax ® ) and atropine 0.05% provides an additive effect compared to monotherapies with either Myopi-X ® PAL or atropine 0.05%., Materials and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study reviewed the clinical records of 51 patients, categorized into three groups: 27 in the Myopi-X group, 13 in the atropine 0.05% group, and 11 in the combination therapy group using Myopi-X peripheral PAL with atropine 0.05%. Baseline characteristics, including age, cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE), and axial length (AL), were compared between the groups. Twelve months after treatment initiation, changes in SE and AL were assessed and compared between the groups., Results: Among the 51 patients analyzed, the baseline characteristics differed significantly between the groups, with the atropine 0.05% group showing a higher average age, longer AL, and lower SE compared to the other groups. After 12 months, no significant differences were found in SE changes between the treatment groups (p=0.35). Similarly, changes in AL did not significantly differ between the groups (p=0.10), although age had a significant impact on AL change (p=0.01). No significant differences were observed in pairwise comparisons of SE or AL changes between the groups., Conclusion: In this study, combining atropine 0.05% with Myopi-X PALs did not provide an additive benefit. The literature suggests that both treatments are effective in slowing myopia progression individually; however, in our study, their combination did not significantly improve SE progression or axial elongation compared to monotherapies. Further randomized studies with larger patient groups are needed to confirm these findings and assess long-term effects., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared by the authors., (©Copyright 2025 by the Turkish Ophthalmological Association / Turkish Journal of Ophthalmology published by Galenos Publishing House.)

Background: High anisometropia is often accompanied by amblyopia. One percent atropine penalization is an important treatment for anisometropic amblyopia and is as effective as occlusion therapy. On the other hand, 1% atropine had the strongest effect on controlling refractive error and axial length (AL) changes in myopic patients., Case Presentation: A female child was diagnosed with anisometropia at the age of two. Cycloplegic retinoscopy examination revealed refraction of + 2.5 diopters the right eye and -8.5/-1.5 × 120 diopters the left eye, and full correction spectacles and patching therapy were prescribed for the child. Anisometropic amblyopia was then diagnosed because the best corrected vision acuity in highly myopic eyes is 20/100. Owing to poor compliance, visual acuity recovery in the amblyopic eye was unsatisfactory, and 1% atropine was applied two times per week for the fellow (right) eye. Since then, the fellow eye has experienced rapid myopization, with the refractive error increasing to -7.5/-1.25 × 15 diopterswithin five years. In addition, the visual acuity of the amblyopic (left) eye has improved gradually to 20/20, although the refraction status has remained stable., Conclusions: In this report, a high anisometropic amblyopia patient underwent rapid myopization in the fellow eye with constant use of 1% atropine, in contrast to the stable refraction status of the amblyopic eye., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This prospective study was approved by the Lixiang Eye Hospital of Soochow University Institutional Review Board and adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient’s parents. Consent for publication: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient’s parents for the publication of clinical details and clinical images. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Introduction: This case series demonstrates the combination of topical 0.05% atropine, wearing a peripheral defocus (MF60) contact lens, and increased outdoor activity during daylight hours to treat myopia's rapid progression in three children. It includes two boys and one girl with an average age of 12.5±0.5 years with spherical equivalent (SE) of -4.06±0.35 diopters (D) and an average axial length (AL) of 25.11±0.49 mm at the beginning of treatment. All children exhibited myopia progression the year before treatment, averaging 1.29±0.13- D SE. The children had not previously undergone myopia management treatment. Due to this rapid progression, a combination of daily instillation of 0.05% atropine and wearing a daily disposable soft contact lens of a unique design was initiated. Cycloplegic refraction was checked, and a slit-lamp examination was conducted every six months. The children's 8-item Contact Lens Dry Eye Questionnaire (CLDEQ-8) score was 19.33±2.52. Over a year, the average myopia progression decreased to -0.34±0.12 diopters, and the average AL growth was 0.16±0.10 mm. This case series reports successful combined treatment for the rapid progression of myopia and a mini-review of the medical literature on the subject.

Importance: Additional data are required regarding atropine treatment regimens for control of myopia progression., Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of different atropine regimens for myopia in children., Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a secondary analysis of the 3-year results of the 24-Month Myopia Outcome Study of Atropine in Children (MOSAIC) trial, called the MOSAIC2 trial. The MOSAIC trial was an investigator-led, double-masked, randomized clinical trial of different atropine concentrations and regimens. The MOSAIC2 study took place at the Centre for Eye Research Ireland, in Dublin, Ireland, and included children and adolescents with myopia from the MOSAIC trial. Data analysis was conducted from November 2023 to February 2024., Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to the following cohorts: group 1, nightly placebo for 2 years then 0.05% atropine eye drops for 1 year and group 2, nightly 0.01% atropine eye drops for 2 years then rerandomization to placebo nightly, tapering placebo, or tapering of 0.01% atropine eye drops for 1 year., Main Outcomes and Measures: Observed changes in cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction and axial length from month 24, or baseline, to month 36., Results: A total of 199 children with myopia (mean [SD] age, 13.9 [2.4] years; 121 female [60.8%]) of the 250 children and adolescents from the MOSAIC trial were included in the MOSAIC2 trial analysis. Of 83 participants assigned to group 1, 66 (79.5%) reconsented to year 3, and 61 (73.5%) completed the trial. Of 167 participants assigned to group 2, 133 (79.6%) continued to year 3, and 121 (72.5%) completed the trial (0.01% atropine, then nightly placebo: n = 31 and n = 29 [93.5%]; 0.01% atropine, then tapering placebo: n = 29 and n = 25 [86.2%]; 0.01% atropine then tapering 0.01% atropine: n = 73 and n = 67 [91.8%], respectively). Compared with the group taking placebo then 0.05% atropine, the combined atropine then placebo groups had more spherical equivalent progression (adjusted difference, -0.13 diopters [D]; 95% CI, -0.22 to -0.04 D; P = .01) and axial elongation (adjusted difference, 0.06 mm; 95% CI, 0.02-0.09 mm; P = .008), and the group taking 0.01% atropine then tapering 0.01% atropine had more axial elongation (adjusted difference, 0.04 mm; 95% CI, 0.009-0.07 mm; P = .04). In the group taking placebo then 0.05% atropine, 15% (n = 10) and 8% (n = 5) reported blurred near vision and photophobia, respectively, during year 3, compared with 3% (n = 2) and 0%, respectively, in the group taking 0.01% atropine then tapering 0.01% atropine, and no reports in both placebo groups., Conclusions and Relevance: Despite more adverse events, participants using 0.05% atropine during year 3 had no differences in treatment completion rates and exhibited 0.13-D less myopia progression and 0.06-mm less axial elongation, compared with participants using placebo, supporting consideration of treatment as given to the group taking 0.05% atropine in this European population., Trial Registration: isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN36732601.

Purpose: To investigate changes in the choroid and axial length (AL) during one month of combined therapy and monotherapy with 0.05% atropine and dual-focus soft contact lens (DFCL), and the impact after discontinuation., Methods: Myopic adults randomly received three interventions: 0.05 % atropine, DFCL, and 0.05 % atropine combined with DFCL. Choroidal thickness (ChT), choroidal vascularity index (CVI) and AL were measured at baseline, 3, 7, 14, and 30 days after intervention, and 1, 2, 7, 14, and 30 days after discontinuation., Results: The ChT thickened and AL decreased after one month of combination therapy (24.19 ± 4.13 μm, P = 0.001; -40.35 ± 9.55 μm, P = 0.024) or 0.05 % atropine (20.52 ± 4.35 μm, P = 0.008; -8.07 ± 7.22 μm, P = 0.002) but not DFCL (8.95 ± 4.25 μm, P > 0.999; -14.89 ± 7.28 μm, P > 0.999). The increase in ChT and decrease in AL persisted for 2 days after 0.05 % atropine was discontinued, persisted for 7 days and 14 days after combination therapy was discontinued. There was no significant change in the CVI after one month use or withdrawal of any intervention (P > 0.999). After one month of combination therapy, significant correlations were observed between the baseline CVI and changes in ChT (r = 0.485, P = 0.035) or AL (r = -0.589, P = 0.008)., Conclusion: Monotherapy involving 0.05% atropine or the combination of 0.05% atropine with DFCL significantly affected ChT thickening and AL shortening. These changes were maintained for a longer duration post combination intervention. The baseline CVI was associated with changes in ChT and AL during combination treatment., (Copyright © 2024 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of 0.01% atropine (AT) in combination with different optical treatments for controlling myopia in Chinese children., Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 341 Chinese children aged 6-11 years with myopia between -0.50 D and -3.0 D between January 2022 and May 2023. The fast-progressing, myopic children received three optical treatments combined with 0.01 % atropine: 75 children with single-vision spectacles and atropine (SV + AT), 162 children with defocus-incorporated multi-segment spectacles and atropine (DIMS + AT), or 104 children with orthokeratology and atropine (OK + AT). The changes in spherical equivalent refraction (SER), axial length (AL), intraocular pressure (IOP), and amplitude of accommodation (AMP) were observed at 6-month and 1-year intervals., Results: After controlling for baseline variables, at 6 months, the increase in adjusted AL was significantly greater in the SV + AT group than in the DIMS + AT group (difference = 0.13 mm, 95 % CI: 0.07-0.20, P < 0.05) and in the OK + AT group (difference = 0.09 mm, 95 % CI: 0.09-0.17, P < 0.05). A more significant progression in adjusted SER was also observed in the SV + AT group than in the DIMS group (difference = -0.20D, 95 % CI: -0.29 to -0.11, P < 0.05). At 12 months, the greatest increase in adjusted AL was observed in the SV + AT group, with a statistically significant difference of 0.24 mm (95 % CI: 0.19-0.29, P < 0.05) compared with the DIMS group and a difference of 0.19 mm (95 % CI: 0.13-0.25, P < 0.05) compared with the OK + ST group. Similarly, a more significant progression in adjusted SER was observed in the SV + AT group than in the DIMS group (difference = -0.36 D, 95 % CI: -0.48 to -0.24, P < 0.05)., Conclusions: This study suggested that 0.01% atropine combined with DIMS or orthokeratology may be viable for controlling low myopia in fast-progressing, myopic children., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To investigate the potential benefit of combining orthokeratology (OK) lenses with 0.05% atropine ophthalmic solution on the efficacy of myopia control in the fast progressors of OK., Methods: Average axial length (AL) elongation of both eyes in 70 participants using OK lenses alone or OK lenses combined with 0.05 % atropine ophthalmic solution was retrospectively reviewed. During the observation period (phase 1), all participants exhibited an AL elongation that exceeded 0.15 mm over a 6-month period or 0.3 mm over a 12-month period. Subsequently, the participants were divided into two groups: one group received nightly 0.05 % atropine ophthalmic solution in addition to OK lenses for another 1 year (OKA), while the other group continued using OK lenses alone (phase 2). The changes in AL elongation over time and the differences in AL elongation between the two groups were then compared., Results: The baseline and phase 1 demographics and characteristics of the participants was similar between the two groups (all p > 0.05). when considering a one-year timeframe, the OKA group displayed a significantly less AL elongation compared to the OK group (0.14 ± 0.13 mm vs 0.27 ± 0.12 mm, p < 0.001). Within the OKA group, the AL elongation in the second half of the year was significantly faster than in the first half (0.12 ± 0.11 mm vs 0.02 ± 0.14 mm, p = 0.01). Conversely, there was no significant difference in AL elongation between the OK group in the first and second half of the year (0.12 ± 0.07 mm vs 0.15 ± 0.08 mm, p = 0.71). The combination of 0.05 % atropine ophthalmic solution had a significant effect on 1-year AL elongation (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: This study provided preliminary evidence that the combination of OK lenses and 0.05% atropine ophthalmic solution can significantly enhance the effectiveness of myopia control., (Copyright © 2024 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To assess the effect of weekly 1% atropine use on children's myopia progression and whether the effect is sustainable., Methods: Medical records of myopic children aged 3-15 years receiving weekly 1% atropine for more than 1 year were retrospectively reviewed. Axial length (AL) and spherical equivalent refraction (SER) at every visit were collected. The changes in AL or SER over time were analysed using generalised estimating equation. The related factors of myopic progression were performed by multiple linear regression. The performance of short-term AL change to predict atropine-poor responders (AL change >0.2 mm/year) was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis., Results: A total of 694 participants with a mean age of 8.83 years were included. The participants with follow-up time reached 1, 2, 3 and 4 years were 256 (36.9%), 250 (36.0%), 143 (20.6%) and 45 (6.5%) separately. The cumulative change in AL was 0.05 mm, 0.24 mm, 0.47 mm, 0.56 mm separately for 1-year, 2-year, 3-year and 4- year treatment. Approximate 0.20 mm elongation per year was observed since the second-year of the treatment. Older age and lower initial myopic refraction were independently associated with less myopic progression. A decrease in AL of more than 0.04 mm during the initial 2 months could serve as an indicator for identifying fast progressors (AL change >0.2 mm/year) over a 2-year period, with sensitivity and specificity rates of 0.78 and 0.73, respectively., Conclusion: Weekly 1% atropine may be a potentially effective treatment with longer lasting effects for children with myopia control especially in those with older age and lower myopia., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors all confirm that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Myopia has long been a global threat to public health. Timely interventions are likely to reduce the risk of vision-threatening complications. There are both established and rapidly evolving therapeutic approaches to slow myopia progression and/or delay its onset. The effective methods for slowing myopia progression include atropine eye-drops, defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses, spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets target (HALT), diffusion optics technology (DOT) spectacle lenses, red light therapy (RLT), multifocal soft contact lenses and orthokeratology. Among these, 0.05% atropine, HALT lenses, RLT and +3.00 peripheral addition soft contact lenses yield over 60% reduction in myopia progression, whereas DIMS, DOT and MiSight contact lenses demonstrate at least 50% myopia control efficacy. 0.05% atropine demonstrates a more optimal balance of efficacy and safety than 0.01%. The efficacy of 0.01% atropine has not been consistent and requires further validation across diverse ethnicities. Combining atropine 0.01% with orthokeratology or DIMS spectacles yields better outcomes than using these interventions as monotherapies. Increased outdoor time is an effective public health strategy for myopia prevention while recent studies suggest that 0.05% low-concentration atropine and RLT therapy have promising potential as clinical myopia prevention interventions for high-risk groups. Myopia control spectacle lenses, being the least invasive, are safe for long-term use. However, when considering other approaches, it is essential to ensure proper instruction and regular follow-ups to maintain safety and monitor any potential complications. Ultimately, significant advances have been made in myopia control strategies, many of which have shown meaningful clinical outcomes. However, regular use and adequate safety monitoring over extended durations are imperative to foster confidence that can only come from extensive clinical experience., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2025. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.)

Purpose: To determine the role of topical caffeine in slowing progression of myopia, both as a standalone treatment and in combination with atropine., Methods: In a prospective, randomized, dispensing clinical trial, 96 children with myopia, aged 6-13 years, spherical equivalent (SE) from -0.50 diopters (D) to -6.00 D and astigmatism less than 2.00 D were randomly assigned to nightly use of either 2 % caffeine, 0.02 % atropine with 2 % caffeine (combination) or 0.02 % atropine eye drops. An additional 86 children with myopia were enrolled in a concurrent parallel group to wear single-vision (SV) spectacles. The primary outcomes were changes in SE and axial length (AL) over a period of 12 months for each group., Results: All groups progressed in myopia. At 12 months, the mean change in SE/AL was -0.76 ± 0.51 D / 0.37 ± 0.20 mm and -0.70 ± 0.55 D / 0.35 ± 0.23 mm with SV and 2 % caffeine, respectively. In comparison, progression was slower at -0.46 ± 0.50 D / 0.24 ± 0.19 mm and -0.47 ± 0.38 D / 0.23 ± 0.18 mm with atropine monotherapy and combination groups, respectively. Compared to the change in AL with SV, the change in AL was significantly less with 0.02 % atropine and the combination group (post hoc analysis, P = 0.024 and 0.007, respectively). Similarly, the change in SE was significantly less with 0.02 % atropine compared to the SV group (P = 0.027)., Conclusions: Used as a standalone treatment, topical 2 % caffeine did not slow myopia progression. When combined with atropine, caffeine had no impact on the efficacy of atropine in slowing myopia., (Copyright © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To summarise pooled estimates of the efficacies of various myopia control interventions, as drawn from published meta-analyses., Method: PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science were searched from inception to February 2024 for systematic reviews and meta-analyses reporting treatment effects of various myopia control strategies. The qualities of the included meta-analyses were assessed using the 16-item A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) 2. An intervention was defined as having a clinically significant effect if it resulted in a change in spherical equivalent refraction (SER) of ≥0.50 D/year or axial length (AL) change of ≤-0.18 mm/year., Results: A total of 38 studies were identified. The overall respective changes in SER and AL, mean difference (95% CI) were high-concentration (≥0.5%) atropine 0.67 D (0.58-0.77) and -0.24 mm (-0.36 to -0.11); moderate-concentration (>0.05% to <0.5%) atropine 0.48 D (0.34-0.62) and -0.23 mm (-0.27 to -0.19); low-concentration (0.01%, 0.025%, 0.05%) atropine 0.33 D (0.23-0.43) and -0.14 mm (-0.19 to -0.09); orthokeratology -0.47 mm (-0.66 to -0.28); peripheral plus soft contact lenses 0.30 D (0.18-0.42) and -0.35 mm (-0.62 to -0.08); peripheral plus spectacles 0.77 D (0.40-1.14) and -0.43 mm (-0.78 to -0.08); multifocal spectacles 0.21 D (0.11-0.31); repeated low-level red light therapy 0.55 D (0.46-0.65) and -0.25 mm (-0.29 to -0.20); outdoor time 0.17 D (0.16-0.18) and -0.04 mm (-0.06 to -0.01)., Conclusion: High and moderate concentrations of atropine, orthokeratology, peripheral plus spectacles and repeated low-level red light demonstrated clinically significant effects on slowing AL elongation, while high and moderate concentrations of atropine, peripheral plus spectacles and repeated low-level red light demonstrated clinically significant effects on slowing SER progression., (© 2024 College of Optometrists.)

Background: Myopia has been a rising problem globally. Early-onset myopia significantly increases the risk of high myopia later in life. Despite the proven benefits of increased outdoor time, optimal strategies for preventing early-onset myopia in premyopic children need further investigation., Methods: This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the efficacy of optical (Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments [DIMS] spectacle lenses) and pharmacological (0.01% atropine eye drops) interventions in preventing myopia among premyopic preschoolers. We will recruit 234 premyopic, asymptomatic 5-to-6-year-old children who will have received cycloplegic autorefraction examination in a countywide kindergarten eye care program in Yilan County, Taiwan. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to DIMS spectacles (n = 78), 0.01% atropine (n = 78), or usual care (n = 78). In the DIMS group, preschoolers will be instructed to wear spectacles at home before entering elementary school but to wear them all the time after school entry. In the atropine group, subjects will be given 0.01% atropine eyedrops nightly throughout the study period. All participants will be encouraged to spend time outdoors for 2 hours every day. During the 18-month study period, cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) refraction, axial length, and subfoveal choroidal thickness will be measured every three months, and parents-administered questionnaires regarding risk factors for myopia will be performed every nine months., Primary Outcome: The change in mean cycloplegic SE., Secondary Outcomes: The cumulative percentage of incident myopia, the cumulative percentage of a fast myopic shift of SE, and the changes in mean axial length., Other Pre-Specified Outcomes: The time to myopia onset, alteration in subfoveal choroidal thickness, and levels of near work/outdoor activities., Trial Registration: This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT06200194., Conclusion: This trial will provide insights into myopia prevention strategies and inform new eye care policies for early identification and intervention in premyopic preschoolers., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Yang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: On optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans of the optic nerve head, peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures (PHOMS) are sometimes seen as a sign of axonal distension. The phenomenon has been reported more frequently in myopic subjects. We investigated PHOMS-prevalence in a myopic pediatric cohort, associated risk factors, and PHOMS development over 18 months during low-dose atropine treatment., Methods: In this post hoc analysis of an investigator-initiated, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial, 97 6- to 12-year-old myopic participants were randomized to 0.1% atropine for 6 months, then 0.01% for 18 months (N = 33), 0.01% for 24 months (N = 32) or placebo for 24 months (N = 32). Primary outcome was presence of PHOMS. Secondary outcome was mean nasal PHOMS diameter measured on OCT B-scan. Outcomes were reported at baseline, 6, and 18 months. Logistic regression and linear mixed modelling were performed., Results: PHOMS were present in 26% of participants (n = 25), and 52% (n = 13) had bilateral presentation. Optic disk tilt (OR = 10.81; 95% CI, 3.58-32.58 [P < 0.001]) and longer axial length (AL) (OR = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.02-4.17 [P = 0.04]) increased the risk of having PHOMS. Greater increase in nasal peripapillary choroidal thickness over time was associated with smaller PHOMS diameter at 18 months (P = 0.05)., Conclusions: PHOMS were common in our cohort of children with myopia. Longer AL increases the risk of, but not size of, PHOMS. The diameter of PHOMS seemed stable over time and unaffected by low-dose atropine., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Clinical Relevance: There are many methods to control the progression of myopia. However, it is currently unknown which method could better control myopia progression: 0.02% atropine eye drops, peripheral myopic defocus design spectacle lenses (PMDSL), or orthokeratology (OK)., Background: To compare the efficacy of 0.02% atropine, PMDSL, and OK to control axial length (AL) elongation in children with myopia., Methods: This study was analysed based on a previous cohort study (0.02% atropine group) and retrospective data (PMDSL and OK group). Overall, 387 children aged 6-14 years with myopia - 1.00D to - 6.00D in the three groups were divided into four subgroups according to age and spherical equivalent refraction (SER). The primary outcome was changed in AL over 1-year., Results: The mean axial elongation was 0.30 ± 0.21 mm, 0.23 ± 0.16 mm, and 0.17 ± 0.19 mm in the 0.02% atropine, PMDSL, and OK groups, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed significant differences in axial elongation among the three groups, especially in children aged 6-10, but not in children aged 10.1-14; the corresponding axial elongation was 0.35 ± 0.21 mm, 0.23 ± 0.17 mm, and 0.21 ± 0.20 mm ( P  < 0.05 between any two groups, except between PMDSL and OK groups at P  > 0.05) and 0.22 ± 0.20 mm, 0.21 ± 0.13 mm, and 0.13 ± 0.18 mm ( P  < 0.05 between any two groups, except between 0.02% atropine and PMDSL groups at P  > 0.05) in children with SER from - 1.00D to - 3.00D and from - 3.01D to - 6.00D, respectively., Conclusions: Within the limits of this study design and using only the current brand of PMDSL, OK appeared to be the best method, followed by PMDSL and then 0.02% atropine, for controlling AL elongation over one year. However, different effects were found in the various age and SER subgroups.

Purpose: It is common to hear talk of 'responders' and 'non-responders' with respect to myopia control interventions. We consider the reality of distinguishing these sub-groups using data from the first year of the Low-concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) study., Methods: The first year of the LAMP study was a robustly designed, placebo-controlled trial of three different low concentrations of atropine using a large sample size (N > 100 randomised to each group). The authors subsequently published mean axial elongation and myopia progression rates by age group. We used these data to calculate efficacy in terms of both absolute reduction in myopic progression and absolute reduction in axial elongation for each of the different atropine concentrations at each age group. We then compared these efficacy data to the overall progression for each of the two progression metrics., Results: Plotting efficacy as a function of overall myopia progression and axial elongation for each of the different atropine concentrations demonstrates the invariant nature of efficacy, in terms of clinically meaningful reduction in progression, despite a substantial range of underlying overall progression. That is, faster progressors-the so-called non-responders-achieved similar reduction in axial elongation and myopia progression as the slower progressors-the so-called responders-within the various atropine treatment groups., Conclusion: The use of the terms, responders and non-responders, during myopia progression interventions is not supported by evidence. Those designated as such may simply be slower or faster progressors, who, on average achieve the same benefit from treatment., (© 2024 College of Optometrists.)

Purpose: Over the past few years, there has been a rapid accumulation of data on the use of low-concentration atropine for myopia control, especially in East Asian children, with its effectiveness varying in different studies. This review aims to evaluate the current evidence surrounding the efficacy and safety of low-concentration atropine in the management of myopia onset and progression in East Asia., Methods: Clinical trials involving atropine for myopia control in East Asia were reviewed., Results: Atropine has been shown to reduce myopia progression in East Asian children, compared with placebo. Its efficacy is concentration-dependent, with 1 % atropine yielding the greatest effect in slowing myopia progression by over 70 %, but it is associated with significant rebound and side effects. Lower concentrations also confer significant myopia-control effects while maintaining a more acceptable safety profile, with relative reductions of 67 % and 43 % reported for 0.05 % and 0.025 % atropine, respectively. While 0.01 % atropine showed the least effect compared to 0.05 % and 0.025 %, it still yielded a significant efficacy in slowing myopic refraction. Over two years, 0.05 % atropine reduced the incidence of myopia by nearly 50 %, demonstrating greater effectiveness than 0.01 % atropine. This effect was particularly notable in children with low hyperopic reserves (< +0.75 D), but not in those with higher reserves., Conclusions: The current evidence shows that low-concentration atropine plays a crucial role in managing myopia in East Asian children and demonstrates satisfactory safety profiles. Timely administration of the most effective and safest concentration can potentially prevent sight-threatening complications and subsequent vision loss., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study aimed to identify baseline factors associated with greater myopia progression and axial elongation in children with myopia., Methods: This study performed a post hoc analysis of data from a 30-month randomized trial of atropine 0.01% versus placebo in children 5 to <13 years old with baseline spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) of -1.00 to -6.00 D, astigmatism of ≤1.50 D, and anisometropia of <1.00 D SER. Data from atropine 0.01% and placebo groups were pooled given outcomes were similar. Baseline factors of age, SER, axial length, race, sex, parental myopia, and iris color were evaluated for association with changes in SER and with changes in axial length at 30 months (24 months on treatment and then 6 months off) using backward model selection., Results: Among 187 randomized participants, 175 (94%) completed 30 months of follow-up. The mean change in SER was greater among younger children (-0.19 D per 1 year younger; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.25 to -0.14 D; p<0.001) and children with higher myopia (-0.14 D per 1 D more myopia at baseline; 95% CI, -0.23 to -0.05 D; p=0.002). The mean change in axial length was also greater among younger children (0.13 mm per 1 year younger; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.15 mm; p<0.001) and children with higher baseline myopia (0.04 mm per 1 D more myopia; 95% CI, 0.002 to 0.08; p=0.04)., Conclusions: Younger children with higher myopia had greater myopic progression and axial elongation over 30 months than older children with lower myopia. Developing effective treatments to slow the faster myopic progression in younger children should be a target of further research., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None of the authors have reported a financial conflict of interest. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding organizations., (Copyright © 2024 American Academy of Optometry.)

Over the past decade, atropine has emerged as an effective intervention for preventing myopia in children. Multiple randomized controlled trials, mainly from Asia, have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of topical atropine for myopia control. Both efficacy and side effects exhibit a positive dose-response relationship. This review focuses on new data from studies with predominantly white populations, ethnicity-dependent differences in efficacy and side effects, and primary prevention of incident myopia with atropine., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To estimate the effect of atropine eyedrops at different concentrations for myopia control in children., Methods: We conducted a Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials (RCT). Primary outcomes include changes in spherical equivalent error (SER) and changes in axial length (AL), mean difference (MD) together with 95% credible interval (CrI) were used to evaluate the efficacy., Results: 28 RCTs (6608 children) were included in this review. Comparing ten atropine eyedrops (0.0025%, 0.005%, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1% concentrations) with the placebo, the MDs and 95%CrIs of changes in SER are -0.006 (-0.269, 0.256) D, 0.216 (-0.078, 0.508) D, 0.146 (0.094, 0.199) D, 0.167 (0.039, 0.297) D, 0.201 (0.064, 0.341) D, 0.344 (0.251, 0.440) D, 0.255 (0.114, 0.396) D, 0.296 (0.140, 0.452) D, 0.331 (0.215, 0.447) D, and 0.286 (0.195, 0.337) D, respectively. The MDs and 95%CrIs of changes in AL are -0.048 (-0.182, 0.085) mm, -0.078 (-0.222, 0.066) mm, -0.095 (-0.130, -0.060) mm, -0.096 (-0.183, -0.009) mm, -0.083 (-0.164, -0.004) mm, -0.114 (-0.176, -0.056) mm, -0.134 (-0.198, -0.032) mm, -0.174 (-0.315, -0.061) mm, -0.184 (-0.291, -0.073) mm, and -0.171 (-0.203, -0.097) mm, respectively.Whether evaluated by SER or AL, 1% concentration ranks first in efficacy, but the risk of photophobia is 17 times higher than 0.01% concentration., Conclusions: 0.01% or higher concentration atropine eyedrops are effective for myopia control, while 0.0025% and 0.005% concentrations may not. As the concentration increases, the effect tends to increase, 1% concentration may have the strongest effect., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Purpose: To describe choroidal thickness measurements using a sequential deep learning segmentation in adults who received childhood atropine treatment for myopia control., Design: Prospective, observational study., Methods: Choroidal thickness was measured by swept-source optical coherence tomography in adults who received childhood atropine, segmented using a sequential deep learning approach., Results: Of 422 eyes, 94 (22.3 %) had no previous exposure to atropine treatment, while 328 (77.7 %) had received topical atropine during childhood. After adjusting for age, sex, and axial length, childhood atropine exposure was associated with a thicker choroid by 32.1 μm (95 % CI, 9.2-55.0; P = 0.006) in the inner inferior, 23.5 μm (95 % CI, 1.9-45.1; P = 0.03) in the outer inferior, 21.8 μm (95 % CI, 0.76-42.9; P = 0.04) in the inner nasal, and 21.8 μm (95 % CI, 2.6-41.0; P = 0.03) in the outer nasal. Multivariable analysis, adjusted for age, sex, atropine use, and axial length, showed an independent association between central subfield choroidal thickness and the incidence of tessellated fundus (P < 0.001; OR, 0.97; 95 % CI, 0.96-0.98)., Conclusions: This study demonstrated that short-term (2-4 years) atropine treatment during childhood was associated with an increase in choroidal thickness of 20-40 μm in adulthood (10-20 years later), after adjusting for age, sex, and axial length. We also observed an independent association between eyes with thicker central choroidal measurements and reduced incidence of tessellated fundus. Our study suggests that childhood exposure to atropine treatment may affect choroidal thickness in adulthood., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Dr Jost B. Jonas has disclosed European patent EP 3 271 392, JP 2021–119187, and US 2021 0340237 A1: Agents for use in the therapeutic or prophylactic treatment of myopia or hyperopia. Dr Audrey Chia has disclosed royalties from Myopine. Dr Leopold Schmetterer has disclosed consultancy fee from Thea Pharma., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Purpose: To investigate the impact of accommodation function on the difference between cycloplegic and noncycloplegic subjective and automatic refraction in adult myopes., Methods: Myopic patients between 18 and 50 years old evaluated at Peking University Third Hospital who underwent cycloplegic and noncycloplegic automatic and subjective refraction were enrolled. Accommodation function, including negative and positive relative accommodation (PRA/NRA) and accommodation response (binocular cross cylinder, BCC) was examined., Results: Of the 3268 individuals enrolled, the mean age was 27.3 ± 6.9 years, and 34.8% of participants were male. The noncycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) was 0.23 ± 0.29 D and 0.64 ± 0.61 D more myopic than cycloplegic subjective and automatic refraction. Adjusting for associated factors, participants with at least 0.50 D of more myopia SE refraction by noncycloplegic subjective refraction were more likely to be older (odds ratio [OR], 1.029; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.013-1.045) and with insufficient (OR, 1.514; 95% CI, 1.093-2.096) and excessive (OR, 2.196; 95% CI, 1.538-3.137) NRA value. The automatic refraction SE difference of at least 1.00 D more myopia was more likely to be found in individuals with older age (OR, 1.036; 95% CI, 1.022-1.050) and accommodative lead (OR, 1.255; 95% CI, 1.004-1.568)., Conclusion: A quarter of adult myopes had at least 0.50 and 1.00 D of subjective and automatic SE difference with cycloplegia. The accommodation function significantly affects the difference between cycloplegic and noncycloplegic refraction. Investigating the differences in refraction measurement guarantees the proper use of cycloplegia in adults for myopia correction., (© 2024 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Assessing refractive errors under cycloplegia is recommended for paediatric patients; however, this may not always be feasible. In these situations, refraction has to rely on measurements made under active accommodation which may increase measurements variability and error. Therefore, evaluating the accuracy and precision of non-cycloplegic refraction and biometric measurements is clinically relevant. The Myopia Master, a novel instrument combining autorefraction and biometry, is designed for monitoring refractive error and ocular biometry in myopia management. This study assessed its repeatability and agreement for autorefraction and biometric measurements pre- and post-cycloplegia., Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study evaluated a cohort of 96 paediatric patients that underwent ophthalmologic examination. An optometrist performed two repeated measurements of autorefraction and biometry pre- and post-cycloplegia. Test-retest repeatability (TRT) was assessed as differences between consecutive measurements and agreement as differences between post- and pre-cycloplegia measurements, for spherical equivalent (SE), refractive and keratometric J0/J45 astigmatic components, mean keratometry (Km) and axial length (AL)., Results: Cycloplegia significantly improved the SE repeatability (TRT, pre-cyclo: 0.65 D, post-cyclo: 0.31 D). SE measurements were more repeatable in myopes and emmetropes compared to hyperopes. Keratometry (Km) repeatability did not change with cycloplegia (TRT, pre-cyclo: 0.25 D, post-cyclo:0.27 D) and AL repeatability improved marginally (TRT, pre-cyclo: 0.14 mm, post-cyclo: 0.09 mm). Regarding pre- and post-cycloplegia agreement, SE became more positive by + 0.79 D, varying with refractive error. Myopic eyes showed a mean difference of + 0.31 D, while hyperopes differed by + 1.57 D. Mean keratometry, refractive and keratometric J0/J45 and AL showed no clinically significant differences., Conclusions: Refractive error measurements, using the Myopia Master were 2.5x less precise pre-cycloplegia than post-cycloplegia. Accuracy of pre-cycloplegic refractive error measurements was often larger than the clinically significant threshold (0.25 D) and was refractive error dependent. The higher precision compared to autorefraction measurements, pre- and post-cycloplegia agreement and refractive error independence of AL measurements emphasize the superiority of AL in refractive error monitoring., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Importance: Exotropia and myopia are commonly coexistent. However, evidence is limited regarding atropine interventions for myopia control in children with myopia and intermittent exotropia (IXT)., Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 0.01% atropine eye drops on myopia progression, exotropia conditions, and binocular vision in individuals with myopia and IXT., Design, Setting, and Participants: This placebo-controlled, double-masked, randomized clinical trial was conducted from December 2020 to September 2023. Children aged 6 to 12 years with basic-type IXT and myopia of -0.50 to -6.00 diopters (D) after cycloplegic refraction in both eyes were enrolled., Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned in a 2:1 ratio to 0.01% atropine or placebo eye drops administered in both eyes once at night for 12 months., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was change in cycloplegic spherical equivalent from baseline at 1 year. Secondary outcomes included change in axial length (AL), accommodative amplitude (AA), exotropia conditions, and binocular vision at 1 year., Results: Among 323 screened participants, 300 children (mean [SD] age, 9.1 [1.6] years; 152 male [50.7%]) were included in this study. A total of 200 children (66.7%) were in the atropine group, and 100 (33.3%) were in the placebo group. At 1 year, the 0.01% atropine group had slower spherical equivalent progression (-0.51 D vs -0.75 D; difference = 0.24 D; 95% CI, 0.11-0.37 D; P < .001) and AL elongation (0.31 mm vs 0.42 mm; difference = -0.11 mm; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.06 mm; P < .001) than the placebo group. The mean AA change was -3.06 D vs 0.12 D (difference = -3.18 D; 95% CI, -3.92 to -2.44 D; P < .001) in the atropine and placebo groups, respectively. The 0.01% atropine group had a decrease in near magnitude of exodeviation whereas the placebo group had an increase (-1.25 prism diopters [PD] vs 0.74 PD; difference = -1.99 PD; 95% CI, -3.79 to -0.19 PD; P = .03). In the atropine vs placebo group, respectively, the incidence of study drug-related photophobia was 6.0% (12 of 200 participants) vs 8.0% (8 of 100 participants; difference = -2.0%; 95% CI, -9.4% to 3.7%; P = .51) and for blurred near vision was 6.0% (12 of 200 participants) vs 7.0% (7 of 100 participants) (difference = -1.0%; 95% CI, -8.2% to 4.5%; P = .74)., Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this randomized clinical trial support use of 0.01% atropine eye drops, although compromising AA to some extent, for slowing myopia progression without interfering with exotropia conditions or binocular vision in children with myopia and IXT., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR2000039827.

Purpose: To develop and validate machine learning (ML) models for predicting cycloplegic refractive error and myopia status using noncycloplegic refractive error and biometric data., Methods: Cross-sectional study of children aged five to 18 years who underwent biometry and autorefraction before and after cycloplegia. Myopia was defined as cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) ≤-0.5 Diopter (D). Models were evaluated for predicting SER using R2 and mean absolute error (MAE) and myopia status using area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). Best-performing models were further evaluated using sensitivity/specificity and comparison of observed versus predicted myopia prevalence rate overall and in each age group. Independent data sets were used for training (n = 1938) and validation (n = 1476)., Results: In the validation dataset, ML models predicted cycloplegic SER with high R2 (0.913-0.935) and low MAE (0.393-0.480 D). The AUC for predicting myopia was high (0.984-0.987). The best-performing model for SER (XGBoost) had high sensitivity and specificity (91.1% and 97.2%). Random forest (RF), the best-performing model for myopia, had high sensitivity and specificity (92.2% and 96.9%). Within each age group, difference between predicted and actual myopia prevalence was within 4%., Conclusions: Using noncycloplegic refractive error and ocular biometric data, ML models performed well for predicting cycloplegic SER and myopia status. When measuring cycloplegic SER is not feasible, ML may provide a useful tool for estimating cycloplegic SER and myopia prevalence rate in epidemiological studies., Translational Relevance: Using ML to predict cycloplegic refraction based on noncycloplegic data is a powerful tool for large, population-based studies of refractive error.

Significance: This study explores the difference between cycloplegic and noncycloplegic refraction in young adult myopes., Purpose: From the available literature, it is unclear whether cycloplegia is necessary when refracting young adults. This study investigates the agreement between noncycloplegic autorefraction and cycloplegic autorefraction and investigates factors affecting the agreement between the two methods., Methods: In total, 125 myopes with ages ranging between 18 and 26 years were included from Australia and Vietnam. Each participant underwent noncycloplegic autorefraction and cycloplegic autorefraction. Cycloplegia was induced with 1% ophthalmic tropicamide., Results: The mean spherical equivalent difference (95% confidence interval) between noncycloplegic autorefraction and cycloplegic autorefraction was -0.20 D (-0.25 to -0.14 D; t124 = -7.18, p<0.0001 ) . A mean difference of >0.25 D was seen in 46.8% of eyes. The lower and upper limits of agreement were -0.80 and 0.41 D, respectively. With univariate analysis, factors including age, degree of refractive error, accommodation amplitude, and distance phorias showed no impact on the average difference between cycloplegic autorefraction and noncycloplegic autorefraction. Yet, eyes with near exophoria ( F2,120 = 6.63, p=0.0019) and Caucasian eyes ( F3,121 = 2.85, p=0.040) exhibited the smallest paired differences. However, in the multivariate analysis, only near exophoria was associated with a lower mean difference. A significantly smaller proportion (34.9%) of eyes with near exophoria had a paired difference of -0.25 D or more compared with esophoria (50%) and orthophoria (65%; χ2 = 6.6, p=0.038)., Conclusions: Noncycloplegic autorefraction results in more myopic refractive error than cycloplegic autorefraction in young adults., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None of the authors have reported a financial conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s).)

To assess the effect of defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) (Miyosmart) lenses on myopic progression in children not responding to low-concentration atropine (LCA) (0.01%) eye drops. A total of 10 children not responding to LCA (0.01%) eye drops were advised to start using the DIMS lens to halt the progression of myopia. The children were followed for a period of 1 year. Eight out of 10 children showed a reduction in the progression of myopia. Pre DIMS, the progression was -0.68 D ± 0.3 D sph, which reduced to -0.24 ± 0.2 diopter progression post DIMS lens in the eight children. The remaining two children still progressed by -0.57 ± 0.4 D sph over a year. The axial length growth reduced from 0.28 ± 0.3 mm to 0.16 ± 0.2 mm after using the DIMS lens in these non-responders. The DIMS lens shows initial promise in reducing the progression of myopia even in children not responding to LCA 0.01% eye drops., (Copyright © 2024 Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Ophthalmology.)

Background: Myopia, characterized by excessive axial elongation of the eyeball, increases risks of having sight-threatening diseases and impose a financial burden to healthcare system. Although myopic control interventions showed their effectiveness in slowing progression, the efficacy varies between individuals and does not completely halt progression. The study aims to investigate the efficacy of combining 0.01% atropine administered twice daily with optical defocus for myopia control in schoolchildren., Methods and Design: This is a prospective, parallel-group, single-blinded, randomized, active-control trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06358755). Myopic schoolchildren with no previous myopic control interventions aged between 7 to 12 years will be recruited. They will be randomly allocated into two groups (n = 56 per group) after baseline measurement. Both groups will receive 0.01% atropine twice per day for 18 months (one drop in the morning and the other drop at night before bedtime). Defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses will be prescribed in atropine plus optical defocus (ATD) treatment group while single vision spectacle lenses will be given in atropine only (AT) group. Cycloplegic refraction and axial lengths will be monitored every 6 months over 18-month study period. The primary outcomes are changes in cycloplegic refraction and axial lengths relative to the baseline over the study period., Discussion: The result will examine the combination effect of low dose atropine and myopic defocus on myopia control in a randomized controlled study. The findings will also explore the potential benefits of applying 0.01% atropine twice per day on myopic control and its potential side effects., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Chun et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background and Objectives : Myopia is the most widespread ocular disorder globally and its prevalence has been increasing over the past decades. Atropine eye drops stand out as the only pharmacological intervention used in clinical practice to control myopia progression. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of 0.01% atropine eye drops on myopia progression. Patients and Methods : Healthy children aged 6-12 years with cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) from -0.5 D to -5.0 D and astigmatism ≤1.5 D were included. Myopia progression was assessed by changes in SE and axial length (AL) over 1 year and SE changes 1 year before the study enrollment and during the 1-year follow-up. Adverse events were evaluated based on complaints reported by either parents or the children themselves during follow-up visits. Results : The analysis involved 55 patients in the 0.01% atropine eye drops group and 66 in the control group. After the 1-year follow-up, the change in SE was -0.50 (-2.25-0.50) D in the control group compared to -0.50 (-1.50-0.50) D in the 0.01% atropine group ( p = 0.935); AL change was 0.31 (0.18) mm in the control group and 0.29 (0.18) mm in the 0.01% atropine group ( p = 0.480). The change in SE was -0.68 (-2.0--0.25) D/year before the study and remained similar -0.50 (-2.25-0.25) D over the 1-year follow-up in the control group ( p = 0.111); SE change was reduced from -1.01 (-2.0--0.25) D/year before the study to -0.50 (-1.5-0.5) D over the 1-year follow-up in the 0.01% atropine group ( p < 0.001). In the 0.01% atropine group, ten (16.4%) children experienced mild adverse events, including blurred near vision, ocular discomfort, photophobia, dry eyes, and anisocoria. Conclusions : Compared to the control group, the administration of 0.01% atropine eye drops demonstrated no significant effect on changes in SE and AL over a 1-year follow-up. However, children in the 0.01% atropine group initially experienced higher myopia progression, which decreased with treatment over the course of 1 year. Future studies should explore the long-term effects, rebound effects, potential genetic associations, and efficacy of higher doses of atropine in managing myopia progression.

It aims to study the efficacy and safety of low-concentration Atropine combined with orthokeratology (OK) lens in delaying juvenile myopia. This is a prospective study, 172 adolescents aged 8 to 12 years who were admitted to the diopter department of Hengshui People Hospital from April 2021 to May 2022 were selected. According to the equivalent spherical diopter measured at the time of initial diagnosis, myopic patients were randomly divided into low myopia group (group A) and moderate myopia group (group B). At the same time, according to the different treatment methods, the patients were divided into the group wearing frame glasses alone (group c), the group wearing frame glasses with low-concentration Atropine (group d), the group wearing corneal shaping glasses alone at night (group e), and the group wearing corneal shaping glasses at night with low-concentration Atropine (group f). The control effect of myopia development and axial elongation in group f was better than that in groups d and e (P < .05). The effect of controlling myopia development and axial elongation in group f is with P > .05. The probability of postoperative adverse reactions in group f was lower and lower than that in the other groups. Low-concentration atropine combined with OK lens could effectively delay the development of juvenile myopia, and had a high safety. Low-concentration of Atropine would not have a significant impact on the basic tear secretion and tear film stability. Nightwear of OK lens also had no significant impact, but it would significantly reduce the tear film rupture time in the first 3 months, and at the same time, the tear film rupture time would be the same after 6 months as before treatment., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Purpose: Atropine eye drops have been shown to slow the progression of myopia, but there has been limited research on the effectiveness of 0.05% atropine in treating myopia. This study aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of 0.05% atropine eye drops in controlling myopia in children., Methods: The study included 424 participants aged 6 to 12 years between January 1, 2015, and January 1, 2021. Of these, 213 were randomly assigned to the 0.05% atropine group and 211 to the placebo group. The cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), corneal curvature (K), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were measured using IOLMaster. The lens power and corneal astigmatism were also determined. The changes in ocular biometric parameters were compared between the two groups, and the contributions of ocular characteristics to SE progression were calculated and compared., Results: Over a 12-month period, the changes in spherical equivalent were -0.03 ± 0.28 and -0.32 ± 0.14 in the atropine and placebo groups, respectively ( P  = .01). The changes in axial length were 0.06 ± 0.11 and 0.17 ± 0.12, respectively ( P  = .01). At 18 and 24 months, there were significant differences in axial length and spherical equivalent between the atropine and placebo groups. Multiple regression models accounting for changes in AL, K, and lens magnification explained 87.23% and 98.32% of SE changes in the atropine and placebo groups, respectively. At 1 year ( p  = .01) and 2 years ( p  = .03), there were significant differences in photophobia between the atropine and placebo groups., Conclusions: This two-year follow-up study demonstrates that 0.05% atropine eye drops are safe and effective in preventing the development of myopia in school-aged children.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of COVID-19 home confinement on the efficacy of the interventions for controlling myopia, and to select effective therapies to control myopia during COVID-19 confinement., Method: Children (n = 164) aged 8-12 years with spherical equivalent refraction of -1.00 to -6.00 diopters were stratified into two age subgroups and randomly allocated into the control, 0.01% atropine, orthokeratology (ortho-k) and atropine combined ortho-k (ACO) groups. Axial length (AL) was measured at baseline, 6-, 12-, 18- and 24-month visits. The follow-up spanned the period before the COVID-19 outbreak, the period of the home confinement, and the period of the school reopening. Hence, the AL change in different periods was collected and compared. Data analysis was performed following the criteria of intention to treat (ITT)., Results: All 164 children were involved in the ITT analysis. Compared to control, all interventions can still reduce the AL elongation during the COVID-19 home confinement period (all p < 0.05). However, the efficacy was compromised: individuals experienced more AL elongation during the COVID-19 home confinement period in the control, 0.01% atropine and ACO groups (all p < 0.05). Interestingly, in the ortho-k group, the difference was insignificant (p = 0.178), and the interaction between the intervention type (control vs. ortho-k) and the confinement severity was significant (p for interaction = 0.041), which is different from the atropine (p for interaction = 0.248) or ACO group (p for interaction = 0.988). These results were stable after being adjusted by other variables based on the multivariable regression model., Conclusion: Ortho-k was less affected by the COVID-19 home confinement, which is potentially a better therapy for children in this high-risk environment. Further investigations are warranted to validate this issue., (© 2023 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Orthokeratology (Ortho-K), defocus incorporated multiple segment (DIMS) lens, combined Ortho-K/atropine, and combined DIMS/atropine for myopia control in children., Methods: A retrospective study included 167 myopic children aged 6-14 years with a spherical equivalent refraction (SER) of -0.75 to -4.00 diopter treated with Ortho-K (OK, n = 41), combined Ortho-K/atropine (OKA, n = 43), DIMS (n = 41), or combined DIMS/atropine (DIMSA, n = 42). Axial length (AL) was measured at baseline and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Axial elongation over time and between groups were analysed., Results: After 12 months, the AL change was 0.20 ± 0.12 mm, 0.12 ± 0.14 mm, 0.22 ± 0.14 mm, and 0.15 ± 0.15 mm in the OK, OKA, DIMS, and DIMSA, respectively. There was no significant difference in AL change between OK and DIMS. OKA and DIMSA significantly slowed axial elongation compared to OK and DIMS monotherapy. After stratification by age, in the subgroup aged 6-10 years, there was significant difference in AL change between OKA and DIMS (p = 0.013), and no difference between other groups, while in the subgroup aged 10-14 years, the difference between OKA and DIMS became insignificant (p = 0.237), and the difference between OK and OKA, OK and DIMSA, DIMS and DIMSA became significant., Conclusions: Ortho-K and DIMS lenses show similar reductions in myopia progression among children with low initial myopia. Atropine can significantly improve the efficacy of myopia control of both Ortho-K and DIMS lenses, and this add-on effect is better in older children., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.)

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 0.01% atropine eye-drops in controlling myopia progression over 5 years., Methods: Experimental, analytical, prospective, randomised and longitudinal study, in 361 right eyes from 361 children randomised into the control group (177 eyes without treatment) and treatment group (184 eyes with 0.01% atropine eye-drops). Children assigned to the treatment group used 0.01% atropine once a day every night and the control group's children did not use any treatment or placebo. All the subjects completed an eye examination every 6 months for the 5 years of follow-up. The examination included subjective and objective refraction with cycloplegia, axial length (AL), keratometry and anterior chamber depth (ACD) to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment. It also included the anterior and posterior pole examination to evaluate the safety of the treatment., Results: The SE increased -0.63±0.42D in children after 5 years of treatment with 0.01% atropine, while in the control group the increase was -0.92±0.56D. AL increased 0.26±0.28 mm in the treatment group compared with 0.49±0.34 mm in the control group. Atropine 0.01% showed an efficacy of 31.5% and 46.9% in the control of the SE and AL increase, respectively. ACD and keratometry did not have significant changes between groups., Conclusions: Atropine 0.01% is effective in slowing myopia progression in a European population. There were no side effects after 5 years of 0.01% atropine., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Two quantitative models for myopia have been proposed and used for myopic intervention, one derived from feedback theory, and the other from physiological and mechanical considerations. This paper shows that they both predict the same results indicating that they are valid and reliable. These models are the only ones that can make predictions about the effect of atropine and lenses on myopia, explain multiple observations heretofore unexplained and offer possible interventions., Objective: Using their predictive power we test the models by calculating and comparing the effect of accommodation, lenses or atropine. The models offer a rationale that makes atropine equivalent to a positive lens for purposes of refractive development., Methods: This report includes thought experiments, actual experiments and trials, as well as an analysis of clinical data and integrates and tests results from all of them for far-reaching conclusions., Results: Both models accurately predict the same myopia progression caused by near work. These models are simple but powerful enough to suggest what treatments are indicated. Interventions for prevention and control of myopia are evaluated analytically, in particular atropine and optical treatments, such as positive lenses and under correction., Conclusion: Optical treatments have enormous potential; atropine is of questionable value since there are ways to get the same or superior effect with lenses of power calculated as described here., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Royal College of Ophthalmologists.)

Purpose: To assess over 2 weeks, the effect of 3 different low concentrations of atropine on pupillary diameter and accommodative amplitude in children with myopia. Methods: Fifty-eight children with myopia [spherical equivalent (SE) of -0.50 diopters (D) or worse, astigmatism of less than or equal to 2.00 D] were randomly allocated to 3 groups receiving 0.01%, 0.02%, or 0.03% atropine eye drops, once nightly for 2 weeks. The primary outcome was the change from baseline in pupillary diameter and accommodative amplitude with each of the concentrations. Results: Fifty-seven participants (114 eyes), aged between 6 and 12 years, completed the 2-week trial (mean age 9.3 ± 1.7 years and mean SE -3.53 ± 1.79 D). After 2 weeks of use, all the 3 concentrations were found to have a statistically significant effect on both the pupillary diameter and accommodative amplitude. Accommodative amplitude reduced by an average of 5.23 D, 9.28 D, and 9.32 D, and photopic pupil size increased by an average of 0.95 ± 1.05 mm, 1.65 ± 0.93 mm, and 2.16 ± 0.88 mm with 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.03%, respectively. Of the eyes, a total of 5.3% and 5.9% of the eyes on 0.02% and 0.03% atropine had a mean residual accommodative amplitude of <5 D. The percentage of eyes having a pupillary dilation >3 mm were 4.8%, 10.5%, and 23.5% for 0.01%, 0.02%, and 0.03% atropine, respectively. Conclusions: Low-dose atropine had an effect on pupillary diameter and accommodative amplitude. With the highest concentration assessed, that is, 0.03% nearly 1 of 4 eyes had pupillary dilation of >3 mm. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT03699423.

Introduction: The importance of myopia management lies in the desire to minimize the potential ocular risks that increase with high myopia., Aims: To assess the decrease in myopia progression using topical low dose atropine combined with peripheral blur contact lenses (CL)., Methods: This retrospective review study included 25 children between the ages of 8.5 years to 14 years. The children all had a minimal increase in myopia of 0.75D during the year prior to treatment. The children were divided into two groups. The control group included 14 children who wore single-vision spectacles )SV) averaging 3.20±0.9D ranging from 1.5-5.3D. The study group included 11 children who wore dual-focus CL, with an average prescription of 3.4±0.7D ranging from 2.5 to 4.3D, for one year. At that point, when an additional myopia increase was observed, the children were additionally treated with topical 0.01% atropine for two years (CL+A0.01)., Results: There was an increase in myopia in the SV group of 1.12±0.52D, 1.08±0.56D and 0.96±0.53D in the first, second, and third years, respectively. The myopia increase in the CL+A0.01 group was 0.57±0.48D, 0.14±0.34D, and 0.17±0.29D in the first, second, and third years, respectively., Conclusions: Low-dose atropine combined with peripheral blur contact lenses was effective in decreasing myopia progression in this study. Additional, larger-scale studies are required in the future., Discussion: This study found a significant decrease in myopia progression in the second and third years of treatment. The CL group showed less effectivity than the CL+A0.01 group.

Purpose: To explore the therapeutic effects of orthokeratology lens combined with 0.01% atropine eye drops on juvenile myopia., Methods: A total of 340 patients with juvenile myopia (340 eyes) treated from 2018 to December 2020 were divided into the control group (170 cases with 170 eyes, orthokeratology lens) and observation group (170 cases with 170 eyes, orthokeratology lens combined with 0.01% atropine eye drops). The best-corrected distance visual acuity, best-corrected near visual acuity, diopter, axial length, amplitude of accommodation, bright pupil diameter, dark pupil diameter, tear-film lipid layer thickness, and tear break-up time were measured before treatment and after 1 year of treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions was observed., Results: Compared with the values before treatment, the spherical equivalent degree was significantly improved by 0.22 (0.06, 0.55) D and 0.40 (0.15, 0.72) D in the observation and control groups after the treatment, respectively (p<0.01). After the treatment, the axial length was significantly increased by (0.15 ± 0.12) mm and (0.24 ± 0.11) mm in the observation and control groups, respectively, (p<0.01). After the treatment, the amplitude of accommodation significantly declined in the observation group and was lower than that in the control group, whereas both bright and dark pupil diameters significantly increase and were larger than those in the control group (p<0.01). After the treatment, the tear-film lipid layer thickness and tear break-up time significantly declined in the two groups (p<0.01)., Conclusions: Orthokeratology lens combined with 0.01% atropine eye drops can synergistically enhance the control effect on juvenile myopia with high safety.

Topic: Comparative efficacy and safety of different concentrations of atropine for myopia control., Clinical Relevance: Atropine is known to be an effective intervention to delay myopia progression. Nonetheless, no well-supported evidence exists yet to rank the clinical outcomes of various concentrations of atropine., Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov on April 14, 2021. We selected studies involving atropine treatment of at least 1 year's duration for myopia control in children. We performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and compared 8 atropine concentrations (1% to 0.01%). We ranked the atropine concentrations for the corresponding outcomes by P score (estimate of probability of being best treatment). Our primary outcomes were mean annual changes in refraction (diopters/year) and axial length (AXL; millimeters/year). We extracted data on the proportion of eyes showing myopia progression and safety outcomes (photopic and mesopic pupil diameter, accommodation amplitude, and distance and near best-corrected visual acuity [BCVA])., Results: Thirty pairwise comparisons from 16 RCTs (3272 participants) were obtained. Our NMA ranked the 1%, 0.5%, and 0.05% atropine concentrations as the 3 most beneficial for myopia control, as assessed for both primary outcomes: 1% atropine (mean differences compared with control: refraction, 0.81 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.58-1.04]; AXL, -0.35 [-0.46 to -0.25]); 0.5% atropine (mean differences compared with control: refraction, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.40-1.00]; AXL, -0.23 [-0.38 to -0.07]); 0.05% atropine (mean differences compared with control: refraction, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.17-1.07]; AXL, -0.25 [-0.44 to -0.06]). In terms of myopia control as assessed by relative risk (RR) for overall myopia progression, 0.05% was ranked as the most beneficial concentration (RR, 0.39 [95% CI, 0.27-0.57]). The risk for adverse effects tended to rise as the atropine concentration was increased, although this tendency was not evident for distance BCVA. No valid network was formed for near BCVA., Discussion: The ranking probability for efficacy was not proportional to dose (i.e., 0.05% atropine was comparable with that of high-dose atropine [1% and 0.5%]), although those for pupil size and accommodation amplitude were dose related., (Copyright © 2021 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of atropine 0.01% eye drops for myopia control in a multicentric pediatric Spanish cohort. An interventional, prospective, multicenter study was designed. Children aged between 6 and 14 years, with myopia between - 2.00 D to - 6.00 D, astigmatism < 1.50 D and documented previous annual progression greater than - 0.5 D (cycloplegic spherical equivalent, SE) were included. Once nightly atropine 0.01% eye drops in each eye were prescribed to all participants for 12 months. Age, gender, ethnicity and iris color were registered. All patients underwent the same follow-up protocol in every center: baseline visit, telephone consultation 2 weeks later and office controls at 4, 8 and 12 months. At each visit, best-corrected visual acuity, and cycloplegic autorefraction were assessed. Axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth and pupil diameter were measured on an IOL Master (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc, Dublin, CA). Adverse effects were registered in a specific questionnaire. Mean changes in cycloplegic SE and AL in the 12 months follow-up were analyzed. SE progression during treatment was compared with the SE progression in the year before enrollment for each patient. Correlation between SE and AL, and annual progression distribution were evaluated. Progression risk factors were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analyses. Of the 105 recruited children, 92 completed the treatment. Mean SE and AL changes were - 0.44 ± 0.41 D and 0.27 ± 0.20 mm respectively. Mean SE progression was lower than the year before treatment (- 0.44 ± 0.41 D versus - 1.01 ± 0.38 D; p < 0.0001). An inverse correlation between SE progression and AL progression (r: - 0.42; p < 0.0001) was found. Fifty-seven patients (62%) had a SE progression less than - 0.50 D. No risk factors associated with progression could be identified in multivariate analyses. Mean pupil diameter increment at 12-months visit was 0.74 ± 1.76 mm. The adverse effects were mild and infrequent, and decreased over the time. Atropine 0.01% is effective and safe for myopia progression control in a multicentric Spanish children cohort. We believe this efficacy might be extensible to the myopic pediatric population from Western countries with similar social and demographic features. More studies about myopia progression risk factors among atropine treated patients are needed., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the prevalence of myopia in Taiwanese schoolchildren over the past few decades and to analyze the risk factors for myopia., Design: Analysis of 8 consecutive population-based myopia surveys conducted from 1983 through 2017., Participants: An average of 8917 (5019-11 656) schoolchildren 3 to 18 years of age were selected using stratified systematic cluster sampling or by probability proportional to size sampling., Methods: All participants underwent complete ophthalmic evaluations. Three drops of 0.5% tropicamide were used to obtain the cycloplegic refractive status of each participant. Questionnaires were used to acquire participant data from the 1995, 2005, 2010, and 2016 surveys., Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence of myopia (spherical equivalence of ≤-0.25 diopter [D]) and high myopia (≤-6.0 D) was assessed. Multivariate analyses of risk factors were conducted., Results: The prevalence of myopia among all age groups increased steadily. From 1983 through 2017, the weighted prevalence increased from 5.37% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.50%-7.23%) to 25.41% (95% CI, 21.27%-29.55%) for 7-year-olds (P = 0.001 for trend) and from 30.66% (95% CI, 26.89%-34.43%) to 76.67% (95% CI, 72.94%-80.40%) for 12-year-olds (P = 0.001 for trend). The prevalence of high myopia also increased from 1.39% (95% CI, 0.43%-2.35%) to 4.26% (95% CI, 3.35%-5.17%) for 12-year-olds (P = 0.008 for trend) and from 4.37% (95% CI, 2.91%-5.82%) to 15.36% (95% CI, 13.78%-16.94%) for 15-year-olds (P = 0.039 for trend). In both the 2005 and 2016 survey samples, children who spent less than 180 minutes daily on near-work activities showed significantly lower risks for myopia developing (<60 minutes: odds ratio [OR], 0.48 and 0.56; 60-180 minutes: OR, 0.69 and 0.67). In the 2016 survey, spending more than 60 minutes daily on electronic devices was associated significantly with both myopia and high myopia (OR, 2.43 and 2.31)., Conclusions: The prevalence of myopia among schoolchildren increased rapidly from 1983 through 2017 in Taiwan. The major risk factors are older age and time spent on near-work activities. Use of electronic devices increased the amount of time spent on near-work and may increase the risk of developing myopia., (Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate changes in ocular biometrics in groups receiving 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine compared with placebo over 1 year based on the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) study., Design: Double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial., Participants: Three hundred eighty-three children aged 4 to 12 years who were assigned randomly to receive 0.05%, 0.025%, 0.01% atropine, or placebo once daily in both eyes and completed the first year of the LAMP study., Methods: Cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), corneal curvature (K), and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were measured by IOLMaster. Corneal astigmatism and lens power were calculated. The ocular biometric parameter changes were compared among groups. Contributions to SE progression from ocular parameters were determined and compared among groups., Main Outcome Measures: Changes in ocular biometrics and their associations with the changes in SE., Results: Over 1 year, changes in AL were 0.20 ± 0.25 mm, 0.29 ± 0.20 mm, 0.36 ± 0.29 mm, and 0.41 ± 0.22 mm in the 0.05% atropine, 0.025% atropine, 0.01% atropine, and placebo groups, respectively (P < 0.001), with a concentration-dependent response. Corneal power remained stable, and its changes were similar across all atropine concentrations: -0.02 ± 0.14 diopter (D), -0.01 ± 0.14 D, -0.01 ± 0.12 D, and 0.01 ± 0.14 D in the 0.05% atropine, 0.025% atropine, 0.01% atropine, and placebo groups, respectively (P = 0.10). Lens power decreased over time in each concentration, but its changes also were similar across all concentrations: -0.31 ± 0.43 D, -0.38 ± 0.47 D, -0.40 ± 0.43 D, and -0.41 ± 0.43 D in the 0.05% atropine, 0.025% atropine, 0.01% atropine, and placebo groups, respectively (P = 0.24). Changes in ACD remained similar across all concentrations (P = 0.41). The contributions to SE progression from the ocular biometric changes after adjusting for age and gender in each concentration were similar across all groups (P > 0.05)., Conclusions: Low-concentrations of atropine (0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01%) have no clinical effect on corneal or lens power. Antimyopic effects of low-concentration atropine act mainly on reducing AL elongation, and therefore could reduce the risk of subsequent myopia complications., (Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare the changes in higher order aberrations (HOA's) for photopic and mesopic pupil diameters in children undergoing orthokeratology treatment (OK) or combined 0.01% atropine with orthokeratology treatment (AOK), and their association with axial elongation., Methods: Children aged 6 to <11 years with 1.00-4.00 D of myopia were randomly assigned to each treatment group. Photopic and mesopic pupil diameters were quantified using automated pupillometry and HOA's were measured with a Hartmann-Shack aberrometer and Badal system to control for accommodation. HOA's were rescaled to photopic and mesopic pupil diameters and fitted with a 6 th order Zernike polynomial expansion. Axial length was measured using an optical biometer under cycloplegia., Results: Baseline and six-month data from 25 AOK and 28 OK participants were analysed. At the six-month visit, pupil diameter was larger in the AOK group under photopic conditions (3.70 ± 0.42 vs 3.12 ± 0.33 mm, p < 0.001), along with a range of HOA metrics [3 rd to 6 th order and higher order root mean square error values (HO RMS), all p ≤ 0.003] and individual Zernike terms (primary spherical aberration, and oblique quadrafoil, both p ≤ 0.03). Axial elongation was greater in the OK treatment group (0.05 ± 0.08 vs -0.01 ± 0.12 mm, p = 0.02). In the AOK group, axial elongation was correlated with the increase in photopic pupil diameter (r = -0.45, p = 0.02) and with several HOA metrics; however, these associations were not observed in the OK group., Conclusion: AOK treatment resulted in increased photopic pupil size and HOA's, and significantly less axial elongation over a six-month period compared to OK treatment alone. The improved myopia control observed with combination 0.01% atropine and orthokeratology may be a result of an enhanced optical effect due to a larger photopic pupil size., (© 2020 The Authors Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2020 College of Optometrists.)

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of 0.01% and 0.02% atropine eye drops on myopia progression, pupil diameter and accommodative amplitude in myopic children., Methods: A cohort study assessed 400 myopic children divided into three groups: 138 and 142 children were randomised to use either 0.02% or 0.01% atropine eye drops, respectively. They wore single-vision (SV) spectacles, with one drop of atropine eye drop applied to both eyes once nightly. Control children (n=120) only wore SV spectacles. Repeated measurements of spherical equivalent refractive errors (SERs), axial length (AL), pupil diameter and accommodative amplitude were performed at baseline, and 4, 8 and 12 months after treatment., Results: After 12 months, the SER change was -0.38±0.35D, -0.47±0.45D, -0.70±0.60D and AL change was 0.30±0.21 mm, 0.37±0.22 mm, 0.46±0.35 mm in the 0.02%, 0.01% atropine and control groups, respectively. There were significant differences in the change in AL and SER between three groups (all p<0.001). Between baseline and the 12-month visit, the overall change in accommodative amplitude was 1.50±0.25D, 1.61±0.31D and change in pupil diameter was 0.78±0.42 mm, 0.69±0.39 mm, with 0.02% and 0.01% atropine, respectively. Accommodative amplitude significantly decreased and pupil diameter significantly increased in two atropine groups (all p<0.001). Moreover, there was no statistical difference in the change difference in accommodative amplitude and pupil diameter between two atropine groups (p=0.24, p=0.38), whereas the accommodative amplitude (p=0.45) and pupil diameter (p=0.39) in the control group remained stable., Conclusions: 0.02% atropine eye drops had a better effect on myopia progression than 0.01% atropine, but 0.02% and 0.01% atropine showed similar effects on pupil diameter and accommodative amplitude after 12 months of treatment., Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR-IPD-16008844., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Atropine eye drops and myopic retinal defocus each slow progression of myopia (short-sight). They also cause thickening of the choroid, and it has been suggested that the thickening is a precursor for reduced eye growth and slowed myopia progression. We investigated whether choroidal thickening due to optical defocus would add to thickening due to atropine when both were applied simultaneously. Addition would suggest that combining the two clinical treatments may improve efficacy of myopia control. We studied 20 children receiving 0.3% atropine daily for myopia control, over a period of 6 months. We imposed short periods of retinal defocus (1 h of myopic or hyperopic defocus (± 2.00D)) both before, and after 1 week and 3 and 6 months of atropine treatment. Prior to atropine, myopic or hyperopic defocus caused significantly thicker or thinner choroids respectively (± 12 µm, p < 0.001). After one week of atropine alone, thickness had increased (+ 21 µm; SD 17 µm; p < 0.001), and it increased further (by + 13 µm; SD 6 µm; p < 0.001) when exposed to myopic defocus. Atropine abolished choroidal thinning in response to hyperopic defocus. These effects remained the same after 3 and 6 months of atropine treatment. Our results show that additive effects of atropine and optical defocus are present at the level of the choroid, and suggest that combining optical and pharmaceutical treatments is likely to enhance efficacy of clinical myopia control.

Purpose: To report the 1-year results of an investigation into whether there is an additive effect between 0.01% atropine and orthokeratology (ortho-k), in a single-masked, two-arm, randomised controlled trial: Combined Atropine with Orthokeratology (AOK) for myopia control study (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT02955927)., Methods: Chinese children aged between 6 and 11 years with 1.00-4.00 D of myopia, astigmatism <2.50 D, and no more than 1.00 D anisometropia, were randomly assigned either to an AOK group or ortho-k only (OK) group at a 1:1 ratio. Subjects in the AOK group instilled one drop of 0.01% atropine into each eye, 10 min before nightly wear of ortho-k lenses. The primary outcome, axial elongation, was examined at 6-monthly intervals, along with secondary outcomes including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), manifest refraction, accommodation, pupil size, and corneal topography., Results: 29 AOK and 30 OK subjects completed the 1-year visit. The overall axial elongation rate was significantly slower in the AOK group than in the OK group (mean (S.D.), 0.07 (0.16) mm vs 0.16 (0.15) mm, respectively; p = 0.03). A significant between-group difference in axial elongation was observed over the first 6-month period only (p < 0.001), but not over the second period (p = 0.818). At the 1-year visit, increases in mean (S.D.) mesopic and photopic pupil sizes in the AOK group were 0.64 (0.48) mm and 0.36 (0.34) mm, respectively, which were significantly higher than 0.10 (0.50) mm and 0.02 (0.28) mm in the OK group (p < 0.001). At the 6-month visit, a significant moderate negative correlation was found between axial elongation and the increase in photopic pupil size (r = -0.42, p = 0.02) in the AOK group., Conclusions: There is an additive effect between 0.01% atropine and ortho-k over one year, with mean axial elongation in the AOK group 0.09 mm slower than that in the OK group. It appears that the additive effect was only during the first six months; a second-year investigation is warranted to determine whether the effect is sustained over time., (© 2020 The Authors Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2020 The College of Optometrists Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics.)