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Soft contacts with positive spherical aberration slowed axial growth
Soft contact lenses with positive spherical aberration incorporated into the optical design slowed axial elongation and show promise for controlling myopia, according to researchers in a study from Optometry & Vision Science.
However, the change in axial growth did not significantly affect the spherical equivalent cycloplegic autorefraction (SECAR), Cheng and colleagues reported.
Primarily Asian patients, half female, between 8 and 11 years old wore either spherical design (control group) or soft daily disposable contact lenses with positive spherical aberration (test group) for at least 1 year and up to 2 years, according to the study.
A total of 82 subjects from the initial cohort were followed for an additional 1.5 years wearing a marketed spherical daily disposable contact lens. The primary endpoints were change in axial length and SECAR from baseline, the researchers stated.
Lens type was a significant factor, indicating that the test lens had an impact in slowing axial elongation, they reported. In addition, time was significant, with the eyes increasing in length on average across time.
About 75% of control subjects were “fast progressors,” and 11% were “slow progressors,” according to researchers. Baseline refraction was significantly associated with progression in refractive error.
Lens type in association with SECAR was not statistically significant, they said. Age was a significant factor for SECAR, with older patients at baseline associated with a slower increase in myopia.
The researchers reported no unanticipated adverse events.
“The difference between the change in axial elongation and the change in refractive error could be attributable to the fact that the overall treatment effect was relatively small within the first year, that is, a 0.14 mm difference in axial elongation after 1 year of treatment,” the researchers wrote.
They added that subjects showed no signs of rebound effect after lens wear ceased.
They said that future designs should aim for a larger treatment effect, increasing the positive spherical aberration while minimizing the visual impact. – by Abigail Sutton
Disclosure: Cheng is employed by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc. Please see the full study for remaining authors’ financial disclosures.