Effects of Head-Mounted Display on the Oculomotor System and Refractive Error in Normal Adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical effects of head-mounted display on the refractive error and oculomotor system in normal adolescents.


METHODS
Sixty volunteers (age: 13 to 18 years) watched a three-dimensional movie and virtual reality application of head-mounted display for 30 minutes. The refractive error (diopters [D]), angle of deviation (prism diopters [PD]) at distance (6 m) and near (33 cm), near point of accommodation, and stereoacuity were measured before, immediately after, and 10 minutes after watching the head-mounted display. The refractive error was presented as spherical equivalent (SE). Refractive error was measured repeatedly after every 10 minutes when a myopic shift greater than 0.15 D was observed after watching the head-mounted display.


RESULTS
The mean age of the participants was 14.7 ± 1.3 years and the mean SE before watching head-mounted display was -3.1 ± 2.6 D. One participant in the virtual reality application group was excluded due to motion sickness and nausea. After 30 minutes of watching the head-mounted display, the SE, near point of accommodation, and stereoacuity in both eyes did not change significantly (all P > .05). Immediately after watching the head-mounted display, esophoric shift was observed (0.6 ± 1.5 to 0.2 ± 1.5 PD), although it was not significant (P = .06). Transient myopic shifts of 17.2% to 30% were observed immediately after watching the head-mounted display in both groups, but recovered fully within 40 minutes after watching the head-mounted display.


CONCLUSIONS
There were no significant clinical effects of watching head-mounted display for 30 minutes on the normal adolescent eye. Transient changes in refractive error and binocular alignment were noted, but were not significant. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2016;53(4):238-245.].
Suk-Gyu
SG
Ha
Kun-Hoo
KH
Na
Il-Joo
IJ
Kweon
Young-Woo
YW
Suh
Seung-Hyun
SH
Kim
D000065:Accommodation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D003626:Data Display; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000502:physiology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*