Abstract
Purpose:
The aim of the study was to measure the effect of horizontal eye movements on changes in central refraction in myopic, hyperopic and emmetropic subjects.
Methods:
The spherical equivalent (SE) of the central refractive error in 12 myopes (average SE: -2.2 ± 1.45 D; average age: 25 ± 3.8 years); 9 emmetropes (average SE: 0.1 ± 0.13 D; average age: 25 ± 4.23 years) and 5 hyperopes (average SE: 0.8 ± 0.98 D; average age: 28 ± 7.6 years) was measured using infrared eccentric photorefraction. The room was darkened during the experiments and the stimulus was a white LED in 1 m distance from the eye of the subject. To induce horizontal eye movements, the subjects where instructed to rotate their head left- or rightward and to make compensatory eye rotations with the measured eye (right or left eye) to keep the stimulus that was presented centrally in focus. Refraction measurements were conducted over a range of ±30° (nasal and temporal visual field) in steps of 5°.
Results:
Changes in the spherical equivalent of the central refractive error occurred in all tested refractive groups. The subjects showed shifts towards more myopic as well as hyperopic refractions. Statistically significant changes showed no clinically relevant effect.
Conclusions:
Horizontal eye movements have no effect on changes central refraction. Therefore, there is no evidence that horizontal eye movements have an effect on the progression of myopia.
Keywords: 605 myopia •
676 refraction •
522 eye movements