title: Myopia progression in children is linked with reduced foveal mfERG response.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the changes in retinal electrophysiology in children during myopia progression during a 1-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six children aged from 9 to 13 years were recruited for the global flash multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) measured at 49% and 96% contrast, in two visits 1 year apart. The amplitudes and implicit times of both direct component (DC) and induced component (IC) measured at these two visits were analyzed and compared. Pearson's correlation was used to study the association between the changes of mfERG response and myopia progression during the test period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Myopia increased by -0.48 ± 0.32 diopter (D) (P < 0.001) during the year, with 24 of 26 children becoming more myopic (range = 0.00 to ∼ -1.38 D); axial length increased by 0.25 ± 0.11 mm (P < 0.001) during the year. The increased myopia was highly correlated with increase in axial length (r = -0.70; P < 0.001). The central DC and IC amplitudes at 49% contrast reduced significantly as myopia progressed and the paracentral implicit times of these two components were reduced considerably. However, the high-contrast responses were virtually unaffected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggested that the inner retinal functions in the central retina, with some involvement of the paracentral region, were decreased as myopia progressed in children.
authors: Laboratory of Experimental Optometry (Neuroscience), School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR.
authors: Wing-Cheung
authors: WC
authors: Ho
authors: Chea-Su
authors: CS
authors: Kee
authors: Henry Ho-Lung
authors: HH
authors: Chan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D058452:Axial Length, Eye / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000150:complications*; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology