Pharmacological and Non-pharmacological Treatment Effects on Children With Different Predicted Myopia Progression Rate

This proposed study is a 24-month longitudinal randomized trial that aims to investigate myopia development after either topical application of 0.05% atropine or prescription of DIMS lens in children with various predicted myopia progression rates by their initial retinal responses obtained by multifocal ERG. This will help elucidate the effectiveness of using 0.05% atropine and prescribing DIMS lens for myopia control in children with different myopia progression rates. The retinal electrophysiological investigation will help determine the contribution of L/M cones in juvenile myopia progression and changes of retinal activities under atropine and DIMS treatment.

80 subjects in either gender aged 7 to 9 years will be recruited in this study. They should have spherical equivalent refractive error between -0.5D and -4D in both eyes with best-corrected visual acuity of logMAR 0.00 or better. All should have normal eye health and without systemic diseases or epilepsy. They have not received any myopia control previously. Eligible subjects will have a baseline eye examination and have the first 6-month period monitoring the refractive and ocular changes compared with the baseline control data. After these 6 months, subjects will be classified into either fast or slow myopia progression group in accordance with the results of electrophysiology results and then will further be randomly allocated either intervention group: pharmacological treatment group (daily topical 0.05% atropine) or control group: non-pharmacological treatment group (daily wear of Defocused Incorporated Multiple Segments - DIMS lenses), for 18 months study period with 6-month interval regular follow up.

The primary outcomes are the changes of refractive errors and axial length after different types of interventions and the secondary outcomes are the relations between the parameters of mfERG responses and the thicknesses of retinal layers and choroid.

Inclusion criteria

• be aged between 7 and 9 years
• have no reported eye disorder and no family history of eye disease
• be able to participate in this study for 24 months
• not have any current or history of epilepsy
• not have any current or history of asthma
• have refractive error between 0.50 D and 4.00 D and less than 1.50D of astigmatism with best corrected visual acuity of LogMAR 0.0 or better
• have no detected eye diseases or disorders after eye examination, except myopia