Study: Switch from PAL to single vision had no effect on accommodative lag

BOSTON — Reduced accommodation in children with myopia who wore progressive-addition lenses did not significantly change when the children wore single vision lenses instead, a researcher reported here at Academy 2011 Boston.

"According to early results of this study published in 2010, we found there are significant treatment effects when children wear progressive-addition lenses (PALs)," David A. Berntsen, from the University of Houston, told attendees in a scientific presentation. "What happens to their accommodative lag once they move out of PAL and back into single vision lenses and they have to give full accommodative effort again?"

The 79 children studied were randomly assigned to wear progressive-addition lenses (PALs) with a +2 D add or single vision lenses for 1 year. All children were given single vision lenses in year 2. The children were seen and tested every 6 months. Mean age was just less than 10 years, children had 2 D of myopia on average, half were female and half were esophoric at near, Mr. Berntsen said. All data points fell within 0.25 D of lag.

"The reduced accommodative effort the children experienced in with PALs in that 1-year period did not result in an increase in accommodative lag when switching to single vision lenses," Mr. Berntsen concluded.

Disclosure: Essilor of America provided support for this study.