title: The autonomic control of accommodation and implications for human myopia development: a review.
abstract: Prolonged nearwork has long been associated with myopia development, however, there is no well described linking mechanism. One theory suggests that if accommodation accuracy during nearwork is not maintained, the defocused retinal image leads to myopia development. Here we review the findings of research aimed at determining whether the autonomic inputs to the ciliary smooth muscle are involved in this type of environmental myopia. We examine whether an autonomic imbalance could be a precursor to axial elongation and the resulting myopia. Accommodation responses, such as tonic accommodation and nearwork-induced accommodative adaptation, as a function of refractive error, are described in relation to an autonomic imbalance model. The collective results of this research point to anomalous accommodation responses, possibly as a result of underlying anomalous autonomic input to the ciliary muscle, being involved in myopia development and progression.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Eye Research, School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane QLD 4059, Australia. jc.chen@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: Jennifer C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Katrina L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000065:Accommodation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D000287:Administration, Topical; D001337:Autonomic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002924:Ciliary Body / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009216:Myopia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000503:physiopathology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D001337:Autonomic Agents