Combined effect of atropine eye drops and retinal defocus on the thickness of the ocular choroid in children with myopia.

Not Applicable

Completed

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

• Registration Number: ACTRN12620000052932
• Lead Sponsor: The University of Auckland

Brief Summary

1. Background: The most effective therapies for slowing the progression of myopia (short-sight) in children are either optical methods which impose myopic defocus on the retina (e.g. dual focus contact lenses), or the use of atropine eye drops. Both methods have limited efficacy. 2. Research question: Would combining optical and pharmaceutical treatments as a dual therapy enhance myopia control efficacy? 3. Participants: We investigated the effects of combining atropine and myopic defocus on changes in choroidal thickness, a precursor to eye growth and refractive changes, in 20 children with myopia, aged between 6 and 15 years, over a period of 6 months. 4. Key Results: Before atropine administration, eyes exposed to myopic defocus (+2.00 Dioptres) for one hour developed significantly thicker choroids (+12 µm). In children on daily atropine (0.3%), choroidal thickness increased (by 21 µm), and then increased further (by 12 µm) when exposed to myopic defocus. Thus, the thickening seen with myopic defocus was superimposed on that caused by atropine. These effects remained the same after 6 months of atropine treatment. 5. Limitations: Our results suggest, but do not show, that combining optical and pharmaceutical treatments as a dual therapy might enhance myopia control efficacy.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Completion: 2016-07-06
• Study Start: 2020-01-22
• Last Update Posted: 3 February 2020

Recruitment & Eligibility

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

Inclusion Criteria

Spherical Equivalent Refractive error (myopia) between -0.75 D and -4.50 D and visual acuity of at least 0.0 logMAR.

Exclusion Criteria

Children with any known ocular pathology, astigmatism in either eye greater than -1.00 DC, anisometropia greater than 1.00 D, or a history of pharmacological myopia control.

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified