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European Vision Award 2012: From chickens to humans ‐ learning about the puzzles of myopia
Author(s) -
SCHAEFFEL F
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2012.2621.x
Subject(s) - optometry , lens (geology) , focus (optics) , focal length , diffuser (optics) , psychology , computer science , optics , ophthalmology , medicine , physics , light source
After it was found that the growing vertebrate eye uses the focus of the retinal image to fine‐tune its axial length to the focal length of the optics, it seemed as if the solution of the problem of myopia was in close reach. While a lot was learned about the fascinating details of biological mechanisms coordinating eye growth by vision from animal experiments, it is still a puzzle why eyes of children start to deviate from the correct path and become too long. Currently, a major challenge is to find out which details of visual experience in kids may have a similar effect as wearing a negative lens or a diffuser ‐ since these are the two treatments that induce axial myopia in animal models. The talk will also review some current attempts to slow down the progression of myopia once it had already started.