The effect of low dose atropine eye drops on coordinated aiming and focusing in young adult eyes

Phase 3

Completed

• Conditions: Progressing myopia; Eye - Diseases / disorders of the eye

• Registration Number: ACTRN12621000075886
• Lead Sponsor: Queensland University of Technology

Brief Summary

Short-sightedness (myopia) is associated with unstable binocular vision (the way the eyes aim and focus together). Atropine is an eye drop medication which is commonly used to slow short-sightedness progression in very dilute concentrations, where the known medication side effect of reduced focusing ability is thought to be minimised. Few studies have examined the effect of atropine on binocular vision beyond the loss of focusing ability. This research examined the effect of 0.05% atropine eye drops on the aiming and focusing systems of the eyes across a 10-day period. On average, the group receiving atropine had a significant change in the way their eyes aimed at near targets (near heterophoria), and a reduction in their ability to keep this change controlled (negative fusional reserves) compared to the control group. Consistent with previous reports, the group receiving atropine had a significant reduction in their focusing ability, which was reflected in significant changes in a number of parameters, such as decreased accommodative amplitude, binocular accommodative facility, positive relative accommodation; and increased accommodative lag. The control group had no change in any parameter tested.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2021-01-29
• Study Completion: 2022-12-12
• Last Update Posted: 26 September 2023

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 20

Inclusion Criteria

Healthy, young adult myopes with a myopic refractive error between -0.75 and -6.00 DS, with no more than 1.50 DC of astigmatism or 2 D of anisometropia, whose refractive error is currently corrected with single vision distance spectacles or contact lenses, and who have stereoacuity of 200 seconds of arc or greater.

Exclusion Criteria

•No current or previous myopia control (atropine, OrthoK, peripheral defocus soft CLs)
•No amblyopia or strabismus
•Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) greater than or equal to 0.1 logMAR, with no more than 1 line difference in VA between eyes
•Habitual correction (either single vision distance spectacles or contact lenses) within 0.50D of cycloplegic refraction result
•No pregnancy or breastfeeding
•No history of ocular surgery
•No history of significant ocular infection or injury
•No allergy to atropine, tropicamide, or benzalkonium chloride (BAK)
•No known angle closure glaucoma, or temporal VH ratio less than 0.3:1 in either eye
•Intraocular pressure of less than 21 mmHg in each eye
•No current use of: anticholinergics, antiglaucoma medications, antimyasthenics, potassium drugs, carbachol/physostigmine/pilocarpine, no CNS depressants (such as antiemetics, phenothiazines, or barbiturates).

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified