Biomedical subjects

Katrina L Schmid

Publications and source records attributed to Katrina L Schmid.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Myopia prevalence in Chinese-Canadian children in an optometric practice.

PURPOSE: The high prevalence of myopia in Chinese children living in urban East Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China has been well documented. However, it is not clear whether the prevalence of myopia would be similarly high for this group of children if they were living in a Western country. This study aims to determine the prevalence and progression of myopia in ethnic Chinese children living in Canada. METHODS: Right eye refraction data of Chinese-Canadian children aged 6 to 12 years were collated from the 2003 clinical records of an optometric practice in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent refraction (SER) equal or less than -0.50 D. The prevalence of myopia and refractive error distribution in children of different ages and the magnitude of refractive error shifts over the preceding 8 years were determined. Data were adjusted for potential biases in the clinic sample. A questionnaire was administered to 300 Chinese and 300 Caucasian children randomly selected from the clinic records to study lifestyle issues that may impact on myopia development. RESULTS: Optometric records of 1468 children were analyzed (729 boys and 739 girls). The clinic bias adjusted prevalence of myopia increased from 22.4% at age 6 to 64.1% at age 12 and concurrently the portion of the children that were emmetropic (refraction between -0.25 and +0.75 D) decreased (68.6% at 6 years to 27.2% at 12 years). The highest incidence of myopia for both girls ( approximately 35%) and boys ( approximately 25%) occurred at 9 and 10 years of age. The average annual refractive shift for all children was -0.52+/-0.42 D and -0.90+/-0.40 D for just myopic children. The questionnaire revealed that these Chinese-Canadian children spent a greater amount of time performing near work and less time outdoors than did Caucasian-Canadian children. CONCLUSIONS: Ethnic Chinese children living in Canada develop myopia comparable in prevalence and magnitude to those living in urban East Asian countries. Recent migration of the children and their families to Canada does not appear to lower their myopia risk.

Asian People↗

PubMed2006

Evaluation of inner retinal function in myopia using oscillatory potentials of the multifocal electroretinogram.

PURPOSE: Oscillatory potentials have been suggested to arise from the inner retina at the level of amacrine cells and inner plexiform layer and they are thought to provide a non-invasive assessment of inner retinal function. We sought to investigate the response dynamics of the inner retina of adult emmetropes and myopes by analysing the oscillatory potentials of the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) in these groups. METHODS: Eleven emmetropes and 18 myopes underwent mfERG testing using VERIS 5.1.5X. Myopes were further separated based on whether their myopia was stable (n=9) or progressing (n=9). Oscillatory potentials were recorded using a modified mfERG stimulation technique, the slow flash paradigm, and they were extracted using band-pass filtering from 100 to 300 Hz. The slow flash mfERG stimulus array consisted of 103-scaled hexagons and flickered according to a pseudorandom binary m-sequence (2(13)-1). Amplitudes and implicit times of the first-order oscillatory potentials were analysed. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the implicit time of the oscillatory potentials of the emmetropes, stable myopes and progressing myopes (F(2,25)=3.663, p=0.043). Progressing myopes had significantly shorter implicit times compared to emmetropes (p=0.026 by 1.0-4.7 ms) and stable myopes (p=0.043 by 0.8-1.3 ms), whereas implicit times of stable myopes and emmetropes were similar. There were no statistically significant differences in amplitude of the oscillatory potentials between the groups (F(2,25)=0.890, p=0.426). CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in multifocal oscillatory potentials between stable and progressing myopes were found. This finding is further evidence of an inner retinal involvement in human myopia progression and may suggest an underlying alteration to dopaminergic or GABAergic retinal systems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Identification of apolipoprotein A-I as a "STOP" signal for myopia.

Good visual acuity requires that the axial length of the ocular globe is matched to the refractive power of the cornea and lens to focus the images of distant objects onto the retina. During the growth of the juvenile eye, this is achieved through the emmetropization process that adjusts the ocular axial length to compensate for the refractive changes that occur in the anterior segment. A failure of the emmetropization process can result in either excessive or insufficient axial growth, leading to myopia or hyperopia, respectively. Emmetropization is mainly regulated by the retina, which generates two opposite signals: "GO/GROW" signals to increase axial growth and "STOP" signals to block it. The presence of GO/GROW and STOP signals was investigated by a proteomics analysis of the retinas from chicken with experimental myopia and hyperopia. Of 18 differentially expressed proteins that were identified, five displayed an expression profile corresponding to GO/GROW signals, and two corresponded to STOP signals. Western blotting confirmed that apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) has the characteristics of a STOP signal both in the retina as well as in the fibrous sclera. In accordance with this, intraocular application of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha agonist GW7647 resulted in up-regulation of apoA-I levels and in a significant reduction of experimental myopia. In conclusion, using a comprehensive functional proteomics analysis of chicken ocular growth models we identified targets for ocular growth control. The correlation of elevated apoA-I levels with reduced ocular axial growth points toward a functional relationship with the observed morphological changes of the eye.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Neural and optical limits to visual performance in myopia.

We investigated the relative importance of neural and optical limitations to visual performance in myopia. A number of visual performance measures were made on all or subsets of 121 eyes of emmetropic and myopic volunteers aged 17-35 years. These tests included visual measures that are mainly neurally limited (spatial summation out to +/-30 degrees in the horizontal visual field and resolution acuity out to +/-10 degrees in the horizontal visual field) and central ocular aberrations. We found that myopia affected the neurally limited tests, but had little effect on central higher order aberration. The critical area for spatial summation increased in the temporal visual field at 0.03 log units/dioptre of myopia. Resolution acuity decreased at approximately 0.012 log units/dioptre of myopia. Losses of visual function were slightly greater in the temporal than in the nasal visual field. The observed visual deficit in myopia can be explained by either global retinal expansion with some post-receptor loss (e.g. ganglion cell death) or a posterior polar expansion in which the point about which expansion occurs is near the centre of the previously emmetropic globe.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Slow flash multifocal electroretinogram in myopia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of retinal function in myopes using a modified multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) protocol, the slow flash (sf-mfERG) paradigm, which is thought to primarily reflect responses of ON- and OFF-bipolar cells and emphasize the late response components. METHODS: Twenty-eight subjects (10 emmetropes and 18 myopes) underwent mfERG testing using VERIS 5.1.5X. The sf-mfERG stimulus array consisted of 103-scaled hexagons and flickered according to a pseudorandom binary m-sequence (2(13)-1). The stimulation sequence was slowed by inserting three dark frames such that each step in the m-sequence was four frames long (53.3ms). The amplitude and implicit time of the major sf-mfERG waveform features (N1, P1, and N2) of the first-order kernel were analysed. RESULTS: Myopes had significantly reduced P1 and N2 amplitudes compared to the emmetropes (F(1,25)=8.818, p=0.007; F(1,25)=6.723, p=0.017). There were no significant differences in N1 amplitude or implicit time between the groups (F(1,25)=1.506, p=0.233; F(1,25)=1.291, p=0.269). CONCLUSIONS: Late response components (P1 and N2) of the first-order sf-mfERG responses were preferentially affected in myopia, suggesting possible reduced ON- and OFF-bipolar cell activity. As bipolar cells form the first synapse of the visual system with the photoreceptors to initiate the ON- and OFF-pathways, future investigations of ON- and OFF-systems in myopia are of interest.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Retinal adaptation responses revealed by global flash multifocal electroretinogram are dependent on the degree of myopic refractive error.

PURPOSE: There is evidence that the inner retina is involved in eye growth control processes and the development of myopia. We sought to investigate the response dynamics of the inner retina of adult emmetropes and myopes using the global flash multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) paradigm. METHODS: Fourteen myopes and 10 emmetropic subjects (mean age: 21.0+/-2.8 years) underwent mfERG testing using VERIS 5.1.5X. The global flash stimulus array consisted of 103-scaled hexagons which flickered according to a pseudorandom binary m-sequence (2(13)-1). The stimulation sequence was modified by inserting three frames, a dark frame, a global (full screen) flash, and another dark frame. The amplitude and implicit time of the two distinct waveform features, an early direct component (DC) and a later induced component (IC) of the first-order kernel were analyzed. Retinal responses were averaged over rings of increasing eccentricity, or into nasal and temporal hemifields. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between the DC and IC response amplitude and myopic refractive error, i.e., the greater the myopic error, the greater the response amplitude. However, when comparing between the two refractive error groups, DC and IC response amplitudes of emmetropes and myopes were similar, even after compensating for the effect of axial length. There were no significant differences in implicit times of the DC and IC in emmetropes and myopes. CONCLUSIONS: Global flash mfERG responses of emmetropes and myopes were not found to be significantly different. The measured retinal adaptation response however varied according to the degree of myopia. We hypothesize that dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in retinal adaptation and is known to be reduced in myopic eyes, may be involved in the retinal adaptation effect observed.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

PubMed2006

What image properties regulate eye growth?

The growth of the eye, unlike other parts of the body, is not ballistic. It is guided by visual feedback with the eventual aim being optimal focus of the retinal image or emmetropization . It has been shown in animal models that interference with the quality of the retinal image leads to a disruption to the normal growth pattern, resulting in the development of refractive errors and defocused retinal images . While it is clear that retinal images rich in pattern information are needed to control eye growth, it is unclear what particular aspect of image structure is relevant. Retinal images comprise a range of spatial frequencies at different absolute and relative contrasts and in different degrees of spatial alignment. Here we show, by using synthetic images, that it is not the local edge structure produced by relative spatial frequency alignments within an image but rather the spatial frequency composition per se that is used to regulate the growth of the eye. Furthermore, it is the absolute energy at high spatial frequencies regardless of the spectral slope that is most effective. Neither result would be expected from currently accepted ideas of how human observers judge the degree of image "blur" in a scene where both phase alignments and the relative energy distribution across spatial frequency (i.e., spectral slope) are important.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Objective real-time measurement of instrument myopia in microscopists under different viewing conditions.

While instrument myopia is known to occur when microscopes are used, little is known about the accommodation response during microscopy, or about the factors which may alter the magnitude of instrument myopia. In addition, there has been no real-time objective measurement of instrument myopia during the microscopy task. Twenty inexperienced subjects and 10 experienced microscopists (average work experience of 4.8 years (SD 3.2 yr)) with mean age of 24.1 years (SD 2.9 yr) and 31.2 years (SD 2.9 yr) respectively were recruited to the study. Instrument myopia was measured using an infrared photorefractor (PowerRefractor) under different viewing conditions and microscope settings (with different forms of refractive error correction, changes in target quality, changes in eyepiece power settings, changes in magnification and changes in illumination of the target). Instrument myopia was greater in inexperienced (1.98 D (SD 0.91 D)) than in experienced (1.38 D (SD 0.75 D)) microscope users. There was no statistically significant change in the level of instrument myopia under the different viewing conditions or different microscope settings, and there were large individual variations. Other factors may play more of a role in determining the degree of instrument myopia during microscopy than the task variables altered here.

Accommodation, Ocular↗

PubMed2006

Changes in implicit time of the multifocal electroretinogram response following contrast adaptation.

PURPOSE: Contrast adaptation, produced by prolonged viewing of high contrast gratings, has been suggested to occur at both retinal and cortical locations within the visual pathway. We sought to investigate the characteristics of retinal contrast adaptation using the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). METHODS: Twenty subjects, with a mean age of 27.8 +/- 5.3 years, underwent mfERG testing using VERIS I. The mfERG was measured after 10 minutes of adaptation to 94% contrast, 5 cyc/deg, sinusoidal, vertical gratings and to an equi-luminance blank control. The mfERG stimulus array consisted of 61-scaled hexagons and flickered according to a pseudorandom binary m-sequence (213-1). Changes in amplitude and implicit time of the first-order kernel were analyzed to determine the effect of contrast adaptation on retinal responses. RESULTS: Adaptation to the vertical grating pattern produced a 2.5 ms increase in implicit time, and the response delay was greatest in the more peripheral parts of the retina (7.6 degrees to 30 degrees ). Contrast adaptation did not produce statistically significant changes to the amplitude of the mfERG waveform. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast adaptation produced by prolonged viewing of high contrast gratings had a significant effect on retinal responses. It has been suggested that contrast adaptation may play a role in the development of nearwork induced myopia; further work investigating retinal contrast adaptation in myopic individuals may be of interest.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

PubMed2005

Peripheral refraction along the horizontal and vertical visual fields in myopia.

Peripheral refractions were measured to 35 degrees eccentricity using a free-space autorefractor in young adult emmetropic and myopic subjects. Refractions were measured along horizontal and vertical visual fields for 116 subjects and a 43 subject subset, respectively. Along the horizontal visual field, peripheral myopic shifts in spherical equivalent M of emmetropes changed to relative hypermetropic shifts in the myopes, there were temporal-nasal asymmetries of 90 degrees to 180 degrees astigmatism J(180) which decreased as myopia increased, and 45 degrees to 135 degrees astigmatism J(45) was linearly related to field angle. Along the vertical visual field, both peripheral myopic shifts in peripheral M and J(180) asymmetry were unaffected by magnitude of myopia, and J(45) changed at three times the rate as for the horizontal visual field. Myopia has more effect on peripheral refraction of adult eyes along the horizontal than along the vertical visual field. The peripheral variations in refraction match well what is known about the shapes of emmetropic and myopic eyes.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

The effect of manipulations to target contrast on emmetropization in chick.

Emmetropization is dependent on visual feedback and presumably some measure of the optical and image quality of the eye. We investigated the effect of simple alterations to image contrast on eye growth and refractive development. A 1.6 cyc/deg square-wave-grating target was located at the end of a 3.3 cm cone, imaged by a +30 D lens and applied monocularly to the eyes of 8-day-old chicks. Eleven different contrast targets were tested: 95, 67, 47.5, 33.5, 24, 17, 12, 8.5, 4.2, 2.1, and 0%. Refractive error (RE), vitreous chamber depth (VC) and axial length (AL) varied with the contrast of the image (RE diff: F(10,86)=12.420, p<0.0005; VC diff: F(10,86)=8.756, p<0.0005; AL diff: F(10,86)=9.240, p<0.0005). Target contrasts 4.2% and lower produced relative myopia (4.2%: RE diff=-7.48+/-2.26 D, p=0.987; 2.1%: RE diff=-7.22+/-2.77 D, p=0.951) of similar amount to that observed in response to a featureless 0% contrast target (RE diff=-9.11+/-4.68 D). For target contrast levels 47.5% and greater isometropia was maintained (95%: RE diff =1.83+/-2.78 D; 67%: RE diff=0.14+/-1.84 D; 47.5%: RE diff=0.25+/-1.82 D). Contrasts in between produced an intermediate amount of myopia (33.5%: RE diff=-2.81+/-1.80 D; 24%: RE diff=-3.45+/-1.64 D; 17%: RE diff=-3.19+/-1.54 D; 12%: RE diff=-4.08+/-3.56 D; 8.5%: RE diff=-4.09+/-3.60 D). We conclude that image contrast provides important visual information for the eye growth control system or that contrast must reach a threshold value for some other emmetropization signal to function.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Delayed mfERG responses in myopia.

It has been suggested that changes in the multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) responses in myopes are primarily due to the increased axial length that accompanies myopia development. We investigated the characteristics of mfERG responses between emmetropes and myopes and determined the contribution of axial length to the mfERG data in 30 subjects (10 emmetropes and 20 myopes) using VERIS I. The amplitude and implicit time of the first positive peak (P1) of the first-order kernel were analyzed. We found that P1 implicit time in myopes was significantly longer by 1.3-3.1 ms than that of the emmetropes and this was not explained by the myopes having greater axial lengths than the emmetropes. Axial length contributed to 15% of the implicit time total variance while refractive error accounted for 27%. Delayed mfERG responses observed in myopes were not attributable to the anatomical change that accompanies myopia and may suggest underlying differences in retinal function that result from being myopic.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Retinal serotonin, eye growth and myopia development in chick.

Myopia (short-sightedness) is a visual problem associated with excessive eye growth and vitreous chamber expansion. Within the eye serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) appears to have a variety of effects, it alters retinal amacrine cell processing, increases intraocular pressure, constricts ocular blood vessels, and is also mitogenic. This study sought to determine the role of the retinal serotonin system in eye growth regulation. Myopia was produced in 7-day-old chicks using -15 D spectacle lenses (LIM) and form deprivation (FDM). The effect on LIM and FDM of daily intravitreal injections of a combination of 5-HT receptor antagonists (1, 10, 50 microM), 5-HT(2) selective antagonist (Mianserin 0.5, 20 microM) or 5-HT (1, 10, 50 microM) were assessed. Counts were performed of serotonin and tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons and the relative density used to account for areal changes due to eye growth. The effect of LIM and lens-induced hyperopia (LIH) on the numbers of 5-HT-containing amacrine cells in the retina were then determined. The combination of 5-HT receptor antagonists inhibited LIM by approximately half (1 microM RE: -7.12+/-1.0 D, AL: 0.38+/-0.06 mm vs. saline RE: -13.19+/-0.65 D, AL: 0.64+/-0.03 mm. RE: p<0.01, AL: p<0.01), whereas FDM was not affected (1 microM RE: -8.88+/-1.10 D vs. saline RE: -9.28+/-1.38 D). The selective antagonist was slightly less effective at inhibiting LIM (0.5 microM RE: -9.02+/-1.01 D). These data suggest that serotonin has a stimulatory role in LIM, although high doses of serotonin were inhibitory (1 microM RE: -9.30+/-1.34 D). 5-HT immunoreactivity was localised to a subset of amacrine cell bodies in the inner nuclear layer of the retina, and to two synaptic strata in the inner plexiform layer. LIM eyes had increased numbers of 5-HT-containing amacrine cells in the central retina (12.5%). Collectively, these results suggest that manipulations to the serotonin system can alter the eye growth process but the role of this transmitter system within this process remains unclear.

Amacrine Cells↗

PubMed2005

The effect of a beta-adrenoceptor antagonist on accommodative adaptation in Hong Kong children.

PURPOSE: Increased susceptibility to nearwork-induced accommodative adaptation has been suggested as a risk factor for myopia development. We investigated whether accommodative adaptation may explain in part the high prevalence of myopia in Hong Kong children and examined the effect of beta-antagonism with topical timolol maleate on accommodative adaptation. METHODS: Thirty children (10 emmetropes and 20 myopes) aged between 8 and 12 years were recruited. Tonic accommodation was measured before and after 5 min of video game-playing using an open-field Shin-Nippon autorefractor. Measurements were repeated 30 min after timolol instillation. RESULTS: Children with progressing myopia demonstrated accommodative adaptation following the near task, whereas stable myopes showed counter-adaptive, hyperopic accommodative changes. Timolol increased the magnitude of accommodative adaptation in the stable myopes but had little effect on responses of the progressing myopes or emmetropes. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropharmacological modulation of the accommodative system may have a possible etiological role in the progression of myopia.

Accommodation, Ocular↗

PubMed2005

The effect of common reductions in letter size and contrast on accommodation responses in young adult myopes and emmetropes.

PURPOSE: Accommodation errors during reading and the subsequent near work-induced transient myopia (NITM) that occurs have been implicated in the development and progression of myopia. This study investigated the effects of two letter variables, size and contrast, on accommodation accuracy during the near task and on NITM and its subsequent decay. These were varied so as to mimic what might occur when students photocopy and reduce reading materials. METHODS: Based on their refractive errors, young adult subjects (18-25 years) were classified into three groups: emmetropes (n = 19), stable myopes (n = 17), and progressing myopes (n = 17). Three print sizes (N4, N6, and N8) and two print contrasts (90% and 60%) were used to give six different reading targets. Targets were presented in random order at 25 cm (4 D demand) and the text read for comprehension for 3 minutes. For each target, accommodation accuracy and NITM and its decay were measured using the free space Shin-Nippon SRW-5000 autorefractor. RESULTS: When data for all subjects were pooled, there was a significant effect of letter size (p = 0.030) but not contrast (p = 0.898) on accommodation accuracy; however, differences were small and unlikely to be clinically relevant. NITM (p = 0.033) and its decay (p = 0.012) also varied with letter size. NITM was greater and decay longer for larger letters. We found no effect of refractive error group on accommodation accuracy. In contrast, there was a significant difference in the magnitude of NITM and its decay for emmetropic and myopic subjects (although no effect of progression status); myopes had larger NITM values and longer decay times to baseline than emmetropes (NITM myopes: 0.37 +/- 0.14D vs. emmetropes: 0.19 +/- 0.17 D, p = 0.005; decay time myopes: 15.12 +/- 6.58 seconds vs. emmetropes 7.10 +/- 4.82 seconds, p = 0.0045). The differences in NITM and its decay between the two refractive groups were of similar magnitude for all six combinations of letter size and contrast. CONCLUSIONS: Our data do not support the suggestion that common reductions in letter size or contrast of reading material (as might occur for photocopied reading materials) cause greater accommodation inaccuracy and greater near work-induced adaptation effects that would exacerbate myopia development in young adults.

Accommodation, Ocular↗

PubMed2005

Retrospective analysis of refractive errors in children with vision impairment.

PURPOSE: Emmetropization is the reduction in neonatal refractive errors that occurs after birth. Ocular disease may affect this process. We aimed to determine the relative frequency of ocular conditions causing vision impairment in the pediatric population and characterize the refractive anomalies present. We also compared the causes of vision impairment in children today to those between 1974 and 1981. METHODS: Causes of vision impairment and refractive data of 872 children attending a pediatric low-vision clinic from 1985 to 2002 were retrospectively collated. As a result of associated impairments, refractive data were not available for 59 children. An analysis was made of the causes of vision impairment, the distribution of refractive errors in children with vision impairment, and the average type of refractive error for the most commonly seen conditions. RESULTS: We found that cortical or cerebral vision impairment (CVI) was the most common condition causing vision impairment, accounting for 27.6% of cases. This was followed by albinism (10.6%), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP; 7.0%), optic atrophy (6.2%), and optic nerve hypoplasia (5.3%). Vision impairment was associated with ametropia; fewer than 25% of the children had refractive errors < or = +/-1 D. The refractive error frequency plots (for 0 to 2-, 6 to 8-, and 12 to 14-year age bands) had a Gaussian distribution indicating that the emmetropization process was abnormal. The mean spherical equivalent refractive error of the children (n = 813) was +0.78 +/- 6.00 D with 0.94 +/- 1.24 D of astigmatism and 0.92 +/- 2.15 D of anisometropia. Most conditions causing vision impairment such as albinism were associated with low amounts of hyperopia. Moderate myopia was observed in children with ROP. CONCLUSIONS: The relative frequency of ocular conditions causing vision impairment in children has changed since the 1970s. Children with vision impairment often have an associated ametropia suggesting that the emmetropization system is also impaired.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Shape of the retinal surface in emmetropia and myopia.

PURPOSE: To determine and compare the shapes of the retinas of emmetropic and myopic eyes. METHODS: Nonrotationally symmetrical ellipsoids were mathematically fitted to the retinal surfaces of 21 emmetropic and 66 myopic eyes (up to -12 D) of participants aged 18 to 36 years (mean, 25.5) using transverse axial and sagittal images derived from magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: The shapes of the ellipsoids varied considerably between subjects with similar refractive errors. The shapes were oblate (steepening toward the equator) in most of the emmetropic eyes (i.e., the axial dimensions of the ellipsoids were smaller than both the vertical and horizontal dimensions). As myopia increased, all ellipsoid dimensions increased with the axial dimension increasing more than the vertical dimension, which in turn increased more than the horizontal dimension (increases in approximate ratios 3:2:1). The relative difference in the increase of these dimensions meant that as the degree of myopia increased the retinal shape decreased in oblateness. However, few myopic eyes were prolate (flattening toward the equator). Independent of myopia, the ellipsoids were tilted about the vertical axis by 11 degrees +/- 13 degrees , and ellipsoid centers were decentered horizontally by 0.5 +/- 0.4 mm nasally and 0.2 +/- 0.5 mm inferiorly, relative to the fovea. CONCLUSIONS: In general both emmetropic and myopic retinas are oblate in shape, although myopic eyes less so. This finding may be relevant to theories implicating the peripheral retina in the development of myopia.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Effect of unilateral forced nostril breathing on tonic accommodation and intraocular pressure.

BACKGROUND: Unilateral forced nostril breathing (UFNB) has specific measurable effects on the autonomic nervous system. Ocular accommodation, which is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, would be expected to be under the influence of UFNB when it is applied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of UFNB on the resting state of the accommodation system, i. e. tonic accommodation (TA), along with measures of intraocular pressure (IOP), blood pressure and heart rate. METHODS: TA levels were measured using the Shin-Nippon autorefractor before and after 20 minutes of UFNB. IOP, blood pressure and heart rate, which are known to be affected by UFNB, were also measured with a non-contact tonometer and an automated blood pressure monitor respectively. RESULTS: Right and left UFNB produced slight, but not significant changes in TA. However, there was a tendency for left UFNB to produce a greater decrease in TA in subjects with higher base-line TA levels. Right UFNB produced a statistically significant decrease in IOP while the effect of left UFNB on IOP was not significant. CONCLUSION: UFNB produced changes in IOP consistent with previous reports. As studied in this trial, UFNB did not have any significant effect on TA. Further studies using a larger sample size are required to investigate the effect of UFNB on the autonomic inputs to the ciliary muscle of the eye and the subsequent measures of tonic accommodation.

Accommodation, Ocular↗