title: Contribution of accommodation and disparity-vergence to transient nearwork-induced myopic shifts.
abstract: Many investigations have attempted to demonstrate a relationship between sustained near-vision and the aetiology of environmentally-induced myopia, but it remains unclear whether myopic development relates to the actions of either accommodation or vergence. The present study investigated the effect of varying the disparity-vergence demand during a near-vision task while maintaining the accommodative stimulus constant. We required 20 young subjects to perform a near task (viewing distance = 20 cm) for 20 min through base-in, zero power and base-out prisms. The magnitude of the prisms for each individual corresponded to one-third their near vergence range. Pre- and post-task measurements of refractive state were determined objectively using an infrared optometer, with post-task readings being recorded over the initial 50 s following task completion. The results indicated no significant difference between the transient far-point shift for the three disparity-vergence conditions. However, combining data across conditions, a significant, mean shift in the myopic direction of 0.14 D was observed during the 10-20 s period immediately following task completion which dissipated within 20-50 s post-task. These findings suggest that the transient post-task myopic shift was not related to the output of disparity-vergence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vision Sciences, State College of Optometry, State University of New York, NY 10010.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenfield
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ciuffreda
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Novogrodsky
mesh_terms: D000065:Accommodation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D003290:Convergence, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors