Search

Non-compliance with spectacle wear undermines global health initiatives aimed at eliminating uncorrected refractive error—a preventable cause of visual impairment—by providing free or affordable spectacles to underserved populations. Non-compliance, however, is often identified too late, delaying effective health promotion strategies. This study evaluates the association between early-assessed vision-related quality of life (QoL) following spectacle correction and long-term compliance in adults. A comprehensive eye examination was conducted on 3052 university students to identify those visually impaired (presenting acuity ≥ Snellen 6/12 in the better eye) due to uncorrected refractive error. After refractive correction, participants achieving a best-corrected visual acuity of Snellen 6/6 completed the National Eye Institute 25-item Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) at baseline and within the first week of correction. A 6-month follow-up assessed compliance with spectacle wear. The average baseline NEI-VFQ-25 score improved from 67.35 (± 13.53%) to 90.56 (± 8.45%) with spectacle correction (P < 0.001) in the first week, with individual changes ranging from 2 to 70%. After 6 months, only 54 (47%) out of the 115 eligible participants (58 females; ages 18 to 29) were compliant. Following the adjustment for covariates, the results revealed that gains in NEI-VFQ-25 score below 40 were significantly associated with reduced compliance over the 6-month period (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.06–0.99, P = 0.047). This supports an association between early vision-related QoL and long-term compliance. Scheduling a short follow-up to assess vision-related QoL within the first week after dispensing spectacles may help identify potential non-compliant wearers early, allowing for timely interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical relevance: There are many methods to control the progression of myopia. However, it is currently unknown which method could better control myopia progression: 0.02% atropine eye drops, peripheral myopic defocus design spectacle lenses (PMDSL), or orthokeratology (OK). Background: To compare the efficacy of 0.02% atropine, PMDSL, and OK to control axial length (AL) elongation in children with myopia. Methods: This study was analysed based on a previous cohort study (0.02% atropine group) and retrospective data (PMDSL and OK group). Overall, 387 children aged 6–14 years with myopia − 1.00D to − 6.00D in the three groups were divided into four subgroups according to age and spherical equivalent refraction (SER). The primary outcome was changed in AL over 1-year. Results: The mean axial elongation was 0.30 ± 0.21 mm, 0.23 ± 0.16 mm, and 0.17 ± 0.19 mm in the 0.02% atropine, PMDSL, and OK groups, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed significant differences in axial elongation among the three groups, especially in children aged 6–10, but not in children aged 10.1–14; the corresponding axial elongation was 0.35 ± 0.21 mm, 0.23 ± 0.17 mm, and 0.21 ± 0.20 mm (P < 0.05 between any two groups, except between PMDSL and OK groups at P > 0.05) and 0.22 ± 0.20 mm, 0.21 ± 0.13 mm, and 0.13 ± 0.18 mm (P < 0.05 between any two groups, except between 0.02% atropine and PMDSL groups at P > 0.05) in children with SER from − 1.00D to − 3.00D and from − 3.01D to − 6.00D, respectively. Conclusions: Within the limits of this study design and using only the current brand of PMDSL, OK appeared to be the best method, followed by PMDSL and then 0.02% atropine, for controlling AL elongation over one year. However, different effects were found in the various age and SER subgroups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the 1‐year effects of orthokeratology (OK) lenses and spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HALs) on axial length (AL) elongation in children with unilateral myopic anisometropia. Methods: This ambispective cohort study recruited 81 children aged 8–14 years with unilateral myopic anisometropia. Of these, 42 participants (mean age 11.07 ± 1.54 years; 23 males) were treated with monocular OK lenses (OK group), and 39 (mean age 10.64 ± 1.72 years; 22 males) with binocular HALs (HAL group). Changes in AL and spherical equivalent refraction (SER) from baseline at 3, 6 and 12 months were compared between eyes and groups. Kaplan–Meier estimation and Cox proportional hazard regression were performed to analyse the risk of myopia onset in the initially non‐myopic eyes. Results: Mean axial elongation in the myopic and non‐myopic eyes at the 12‐month follow‐up visit were 0.17 ± 0.20 and 0.41 ± 0.26 mm in the OK group (p < 0.001) and 0.10 ± 0.15 and 0.12 ± 0.12 mm in the HAL group (p = 0.32), respectively. Compared with the OK group, the non‐myopic eyes in the HAL group had less axial elongation, lower cumulative myopia incidence and percentage of participants with rapid myopic shift at the 6‐ and 12 month follow‐up (all p < 0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that a higher initial SER decreased the risk of myopia onset significantly in the initially non‐myopic eyes (B = −2.06; 95% CI, 0.03–0.49; p = 0.003). Conclusions: Monocular OK lenses suppressed axial elongation in the myopic eye and minimised anisometropia; however, the non‐treated contralateral eye may experience faster myopia onset and myopic shift. Binocular HALs can effectively reduce axial elongation in both eyes of children with unilateral myopic anisometropia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current requirements for augmented reality (AR) applications demand the use of dedicated AR glasses, which often need custom prescription lenses or contact lenses to correct common visual impairments, thus limiting AR's broader experiences. Here, an innovative methodology for the design, fabrication, and comprehensive analysis of a flexible, reflective‐type holographic metasurface patch designed for AR applications is presented. By fabricating a conformable metasurface on a transparent and flexible substrate, a prototype of AR eyeglasses is successfully created, capable of transforming everyday eyewear into AR glasses. The prototype is tested under both indoor and outdoor conditions, proving its effectiveness in delivering immersive AR imaging presentations. The metasurface's compact size does not interfere with normal vision. This approach increases the relevance and applicability of AR technology by making AR experiences accessible to a wider audience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The burden of childhood visual impairment and disparities in access to pediatric vision care remain pressing issues in the United States. School-based vision programs (SBVPs) serve as one approach to advancing health equity. Operating at the intersection of schools and healthcare, SBVPs can increase access to pediatric vision services, improve academic performance, and facilitate referrals to community vision care providers. To maximize their impact, SBVPs must tailor their services to the individual needs and resources of local school communities. School nurses, who have strong ties to school health care services and the school community, are trusted partners in building SBVPs. This article aims to facilitate SBVP development, implementation, and sustainability processes by offering guidance for school nurses and other stakeholders who aim to build a SBVP, support local programs, or learn more about how SBVPs operate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This retrospective analysis evaluates the treatment success of "Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments" (DIMS) spectacle lenses in a real-life clinical setting in Germany. Materials and methods: Axial length (AL) and objective refraction of 166 eyes treated with DIMS at baseline and 12-month follow-up were analyzed. Annual AL growth rate within the range of physiological growth rate was considered a successful treatment. Myopia progression of ≥ -0.5 D/yr accounted as treatment success. Differences in percentages of treatment success of subgroups depending on baseline AL and age against treatment success of the total population were investigated. Results: Considering all eyes, treatment success regarding AL growth and myopia progression was achieved in 46% and 65%, respectively. Male eyes with moderate AL showed treatment success in a higher proportion (73%, p < 0.01; 89%, p < 0.01); eyes with high AL showed treatment success in a lower proportion (25%, p < 0.01; 51%, n.s.). Female eyes showed the same trend but without statistical significance (moderate AL: 49%; 68%; high AL: 40%; 62%). Younger children showed treatment success in a lower proportion (male: 11%, p < 0.01; 38%, p < 0.05; female: 25%, p < 0.01; 42%, p < 0.01). Older children showed treatment success in a higher proportion (male: 60%, p < 0.05; 78% p < 0.05; female: 53%, n.s.; 77% p < 0.05). Conclusions: Eyes with moderate baseline AL and of older children showed treatment success after 12 months of DIMS treatment. Eyes with a high baseline AL and of younger children showed treatment success in a smaller proportion, therefore combination treatment should be considered. In future studies, males and females should be assessed separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myopia and especially high myopia are recognised as major public health concerns. Although the prevalence of high myopia in young children is low, 10–20% of high school children in Asia have high myopia, with many still progressing, and one in three patients with high myopia develop visual impairment with age. Most participants in myopia control studies have low and moderate myopia; relatively little is known about myopia control in high myopia. Method: Literature searches were undertaken in MEDLINE and EMBASE to identify publications in English, investigating (Aim 1) the efficacy of myopia control strategies (environmental, pharmacological and optical) in high myopia (≤−6.00 D) and (Aim 2) the complications of high myopia using keywords. Outcomes included change in spherical equivalent refractive error (SE) and/or axial length (AL) to evaluate progression in high myopia. Results: Aim 1: Twelve studies were identified that reported the efficacy of optical and pharmacological (none on environmental) interventions on AL and SE for high myopia control. A statistically significant reduction in progression of SE and AL in high myopes was reported with 1% and 0.5% atropine. Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segment spectacle lenses had lower efficacy in slowing high myopia progression compared to moderate and low myopia. Ortho‐K lenses were equally effective in reducing myopia progression in low, moderate and high myopia. Aim 2: Myopic patients have an increased risk of myopic macular degeneration, retinal detachment, cataract and glaucoma, with the risk increasing with the level of myopia. Conclusions: High myopia has significant effects on quality of life, risk of pathological complications and vision impairment. Young children, excluding those with some syndromic associations, who are fast progressing moderate and high myopes require early intervention and close monitoring. Further research investigating the efficacy of myopia control strategies in highly myopic patients, both independently and through combination treatments, are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of individualized ocular refraction customized (IORC) spectacle lenses with different actual amounts of peripheral myopic defocus (MD) on myopia control over 1 year. These lenses compensate for the original peripheral refraction via the free‐form surface on the back of the lens. Methods: This 1‐year, double‐masked randomised clinical trial included 184 myopic schoolchildren aged 8–12 years. Participants were randomised to receive IORC lenses with high (IORC‐H group, +4.50 D), medium (IORC‐M group, +3.50 D) or low (IORC‐L group, +2.50 D) MD or single‐vision (SV) lenses. The spherical equivalent refractive error (SER) and axial length (AL) were measured at baseline and 6‐monthly intervals. Results: After 1 year, the mean (SD) changes in SER were −0.18 (0.37), −0.36 (0.37), −0.52 (0.39) and −0.60 (0.42) D for the IORC‐H, IORC‐M, IORC‐L and SV groups, respectively. Compared with the SV group, the effects of slowing myopia progression were 70%, 40% and 13% for the IORC‐H (difference of 0.47 D, p < 0.001), IORC‐M (difference of 0.32 D, p = 0.001) and IORC‐L (difference of 0.15 D, p > 0.05) groups, respectively. The mean (SD) changes in AL were 0.12 (0.16), 0.23 (0.17), 0.29 (0.17) and 0.36 (0.17) mm for the IORC‐H, IORC‐M, IORC‐L and SV groups, respectively. The axial elongation was 67%, 36% and 19% lower in the IORC‐H (difference of 0.25 mm, p < 0.001), IORC‐M (difference of 0.15 mm, p < 0.001) and IORC‐L (difference of 0.10 mm, p = 0.04) groups, respectively, compared with the SV group. The IORC‐H group exhibited significantly less axial elongation than the IORC‐M and IORC‐L groups (p = 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: Compared with the IORC‐M and IORC‐L lenses, the IORC‐H lens was found to have superior efficacy in inhibiting myopic progression and slowing eye growth in schoolchildren, with better myopia control efficacy in younger children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMSs) in slowing myopia progression in pediatric patients as a function of age. Methods: This was a non-randomized experimenter-masked retrospective controlled observational study of European individuals aged 6–16 years with progressive myopia but no ocular pathology. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of the participants allocated to receive DIMS spectacles (Hoya® MiyoSmart®) or single-vision spectacle lenses (control group). Cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) and axial length (AL) were measured at baseline and at 12-, 24-, and 36-month follow-ups. The results were stratified by age into four groups: patients wearing DIMS spectacles older or younger than 10 years of age (group A, 20 patients mean age 13.6 ± 2.2, and group C, 20 patients mean age 9.0 ± 1.2) and age-matched control groups (group B, 18 patients mean age 13.2 ± 2.5, and group D, 22 patients mean age 8.5 ± 0.9). Results: At 36 months, SE and AL increase were significantly reduced in groups A and C, respectively, compared to groups B and D (p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation (p < 0.05) between patient age and myopia progression for SE in groups A and C, but only in group A for AL. Groups B and D did not show any significant correlation (p > 0.05). Conclusions: DIMS spectacles seem to slow myopia progression in pediatric patients; however, their effectiveness shows the greatest results in children older than 10 years of age. Moreover, our findings suggest that AL may be the more reliable parameter for evaluating myopia progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the myopia control efficacy of novel Lenslet-ARray-Integrated (LARI) spectacle lenses with positive power lenslets (PLARI) and negative power lenslets (NLARI) worn for 1 year in myopic children. Randomized, double-masked, controlled clinical trial. A total of 240 children 6 to 12 years of age with spherical equivalent refraction (SER) between –4.00 and –1.00 diopters (D), astigmatism of ≤ 1.50 D, and anisometropia of ≤ 1.00 D. Participants were assigned randomly in a 1:1:1 ratio to PLARI, NLARI, and control (single-vision [SV]) groups. Cycloplegic autorefraction and axial length were measured at baseline and 6-month intervals after lens wear. Changes in SER, axial elongation (AE), and differences between groups. After 1 year, SER changes and AE in the PLARI and NLARI groups were significantly less than those in the SV group (SER: –0.30 ± 0.48 D, –0.21 ± 0.35 D, and –0.66 ± 0.40 D, respectively; AE: 0.19 ± 0.20 mm, 0.17 ± 0.14 mm, 0.34 ± 0.18 mm, respectively; all P < 0.001). No significant differences were found in SER changes and AE between PLARI and NLARI groups (P = 0.54 and P = 1.00, respectively). Younger age was associated with more rapid SER increase and larger AE in the SV group (r = 0.40 [ P < 0.001] and r = –0.59 [ P < 0.001], respectively) and PLARI group (r = 0.46 [ P < 0.001] and r = –0.52 [ P < 0.001], respectively), but not in the NLARI group (r = –0.002 [ P = 0.98] and r = –0.08 [ P = 0.48], respectively). Compared with the SV group, both PLARI and NARI groups showed significantly slower myopia progression in terms of SER and AE. Faster myopia progression, in terms of both SER and AE, was associated with younger age in the SV and PLARI groups but not the NLARI group. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite known recommendations regarding standards for print size and the intuitive importance of vision in reading prescription labels, the predictive nature of vision and prescription label readability remains largely undefined. Furthermore, while the importance of vision is recognized, various demographic factors associated with the ability to read prescription labels have not been fully elucidated. Objective: Describe relationships between visual acuity, point size, and readability of prescription labels and provide insight into demographic factors associated with prescription label readability. Methods: Cross-sectional examination of prescription label readability by older, community-dwelling adults. Subjects were evaluated as to demographics, visual acuity, and ability to read test instruments consisting of unaltered prescription label features of five medications dispensed by community pharmacies and two drug samples. Descriptive statistics in conjunction with a logit predictive model were employed for data analysis. Results: Instructions for medication use were most recognizable, identified and correctly read by 95.60% of the study cohort while directions for the use of drug samples were lowest (34.91%). Among prescription label features, auxiliary labels consistently demonstrated poor readability. Level of visual acuity was statistically related to the ability to read prescription labels while identifying prescription label components increased proportionally with point size. Race, gender, and history of a recent eye examination were statistically significant predictors of prescription label reading ability. Visual acuity alone was found to explain approximately 26% of the variablity in ability to read Rx labels. Conclusion: Visual acuity is predictive of the ability to access Rx label information and should be considered a modifiable variable for improving prescription label reading ability amenable by appropriate eye care and spectacle correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) demonstrate altered movement patterns when their vision is disturbed during simple tasks, such as single-legged standing and walking. However, it remains unclear whether visual disruption by stroboscopic glasses alters movement patterns during landing-cutting movements, considered highly demanding sport maneuvers that mimic a typical athletic movement. To identify altered lower extremity kinematics and muscle activation when vision is disrupted by stroboscopic glasses during landing-cutting tasks in individuals with CAI. Case-control study. Laboratory. A total of 18 individuals with CAI (age = 22.3 ± 2.3 years, height = 1.75 ± 0.1 m, mass = 72.5 ± 9.8 kg) and 18 matched healthy controls (age = 21.7 ± 2.3 years, height = 1.75 ± 0.1 m, mass = 71.9 ± 10.3 kg). All participants performed 5 trials of a landing-cutting task with (SV) and without (NSV) stroboscopic glasses. Frontal- and sagittal-plane lower extremity kinematics and 6 lower extremity muscle activations during the stance phase of a landing-cutting task in the SV and NSV conditions. Individuals with CAI demonstrated more ankle-inversion angle from 18% to 22% and from 60% to 100% of the stance phase and more peroneus longus activation from initial contact to 18% of the stance phase under the SV condition than under the NSV condition. We observed no differences in knee- and hip-joint angles between the visual conditions for both groups. When wearing stroboscopic glasses, individuals with CAI showed altered movement patterns, including increased ankle-inversion angle and peroneus longus activation during the stance phase of a landing-cutting task. The results suggest that they may lack the ability to reweight sensory information to adapt their movement to visual disruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The control room is a critical work environment where optimal performance is essential to minimize errors. Lighting is one of the key environmental factors influencing the performance of control room operators. Inadequate sleep quality and job stress also significantly impact job performance. Poor sleep quality, eye fatigue, inappropriate lighting, and occupational stress can lead to errors and decreased accuracy in work. Objectives: The present study aims to determine the correlation between lighting intensity, eye fatigue, occupational stress, and sleep quality among control room operators at the Abadan Refinery. The study was conducted in 2022. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 190 control room operators at the Abadan Refinery in 2022. A lux meter device was used to evaluate the intensity of lighting. Standard Pittsburgh sleep quality, eye fatigue, and Occupational Stress questionnaires were also administered. The results were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The average light intensity of the work surface was 347.95 ± 147.34 lux. The mean and standard deviation of job stress score and sleep quality were 155.42 ± 9.18 and 9.38 ± 1.62, respectively. The average eye fatigue score was 5.09 ± 0.821 in people without glasses and 4.47 ± 0.828 in people with glasses. A significant correlation was found between brightness intensity and visual fatigue (ρ = 0.201, P = 0.029). The correlation between eye fatigue and sleep quality score was also significant (ρ = 0.225, P = 0.002). However, no significant correlation was observed between lighting intensity and sleep quality (ρ = - 0.005, P = 0.946). The correlation between the overall score of occupational stress and sleep quality was statistically significant (r = - 0.148, P = 0.042). Conclusions: The results showed a significant correlation between lighting intensity and the factors of sleep quality and eye fatigue. Additionally, there was a significant correlation between eye fatigue and sleep quality, as well as between occupational stress and sleep quality. Therefore, it is suggested that planning to minimize job stress, and improve lighting and sleep quality for gas refinery control room personnel should be designed and implemented by the authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Agriculture is one of the occupations with the highest risk of injuries and fatalities but the farmers are ignorant about eye care and eye safety. Aim: The current study aims at understanding the occupational hazard and ocular morbidities associated with agriculture and the effect of safety eyewear. Settings and Design: Multicenteric, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in two states of India: Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Subjects were agriculture workers recruited by convenience sampling. Methods and Material: The study was done in three phases: Phase 1: Visual task analysis (VTA), Phase 2: Comprehensive eye examination, and Phase 3: Spectacle compliance assessment. The Standard of Living Index scale was administered to assess the socioeconomic status of the participants. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: A study involving 276 workers (39.4% male, 65.2% female) found that VTA agricultural tasks were visually less demanding but hazardous, carrying the risk of ocular and nonocular injuries. Ocular injuries accounted for 9.4% (26 cases), while nonocular injuries accounted for 9.8% (27 cases). Spectacle compliance assessment revealed that 91.8% (157 out of 171 workers) reported improved visual comfort, reduced dust exposure, and enhanced safety with safety eyewear. Conclusions: This study illustrates numerous types of hazards associated with the occupation of farming. The study population had a 9.4% prevalence of ocular injuries. Refractive safety eyewear was reported to improve worker visual comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To determine SOD2 and CAT expression in lens epithelial cells with the protection of UVblocking spectacle lens and UV-blocking contact lenses after UVB radiation. Methods: 32 eyes of Rattus norvegicus mice were subjected to UVB radiation from Philips PL-S 9W/01 narrowband 311 nm lamps at a distance of 18 cm for 30 minutes. Divided into four groups: a control group, P1 group exposed to radiation, P2 group wearing UV-blocking spectacle lens, and P3 group wearing UV-blocking contact lens. The mice were euthanized three days later and had their eyes removed. Immunohistochemistry analysis was used to evaluate the expression of SOD2 and CAT. Results: P1 demonstrated a statistically significant SOD2 expression (p=0.002) compared to the control group. Neither P2 nor P3 exhibited significant differences in SOD2 expression (p=0.693; p=0.365). The SOD2 of the P1 group was significantly different compared to the P2 and P3 groups (p=0.007; p=0.023). No statistically significant difference between groups P2 and P3 (p=0.606). The CAT levels in the P1 group significantly differed from the control group (p=0.001). The differences between the P2 and P3 groups and the control groups were statistically insignificant (p=0.894; p=0.120). CAT P1 group had a significant difference with P2 and P3 groups (p=0.001; p=0.033). No statistically significant difference was observed between groups P2 and P3 (p=0.154). Conclusions: UV-B exposure decreases the expression of SOD2 and CAT. Both protection can provide equally good protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Spectacle lenses with peripheral lenslets have shown promise for myopia control by providing peripheral myopic defocus signals. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of prolonged exposure (>6 months) to peripheral myopic defocus on visual information processing in myopic children. Methods: The study included 30 myopic children who habitually wore spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL group) and 34 children who habitually wore single‐vision (SV group) spectacles. The quick contrast sensitivity function (qCSF) was used to measure contrast sensitivity (CS) under conditions of no or high noise. Both groups were tested with HAL and SV lenses. The perceptual template model was utilised to fit the contrast sensitivity function (CSF) and determine differences in information processing efficiency through internal additive noise (Nadd) and perceptual template gain (β). Results: The areas under the log CSF in the SV group were significantly higher than for the HAL group in both zero‐noise conditions with the SV test lens (p = 0.03) and high‐noise conditions with the HAL test lens (p = 0.02). For 2 cycle per degree (cpd) stimuli, β was significantly higher in the SV group with the HAL test lens than in the HAL group (p = 0.02), while there was a trend towards a significant difference in β for 6 cpd stimuli (p = 0.07). However, there were no significant differences in Nadd between the two groups, with or without noise interference. Conclusion: The reduced CS observed in myopic children wearing HAL lenses for 6 months or more may be due to decreased β. This suggests that prolonged use of spectacle lenses with peripheral myopic defocus signals may compromise the central visual system's ability to process additional external noise, resulting in decreased efficiency in visual information processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visually impaired individuals face significant challenges in many areas of their daily lives, such as accessing environmental information, social interaction, and safety. This article aims to enhance the independence of visually impaired individuals and facilitate their daily lives through an artificial intelligence-supported image and sound recognition system. The developed prototype consists of glasses equipped with a Raspberry Pi 4 microprocessor, integrated headphones, touch controls, and a robust battery management system. Its electronic schematic includes the integration of the camera and the microprocessor. The artificial intelligence algorithms developed successfully perform tasks such as object recognition, text reading, and face recognition. A visual question answering (VQA) model was utilized in the glasses to enable visually impaired individuals to communicate more effectively with their surroundings. Following a demonstration conducted with visually impaired individuals, the usability and effectiveness of the prototype were evaluated, and improvements were made based on user feedback. The accuracy of the algorithms was tested, resulting in a prototype with a 78% accuracy score, which was close to the 82% accuracy score of GPT-4. Additionally, tests conducted with 20 users indicated an 85% user satisfaction rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myopia, characterized by excessive axial elongation of the eyeball, increases risks of having sight-threatening diseases and impose a financial burden to healthcare system. Although myopic control interventions showed their effectiveness in slowing progression, the efficacy varies between individuals and does not completely halt progression. The study aims to investigate the efficacy of combining 0.01% atropine administered twice daily with optical defocus for myopia control in schoolchildren. Methods and design: This is a prospective, parallel-group, single-blinded, randomized, active-control trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06358755). Myopic schoolchildren with no previous myopic control interventions aged between 7 to 12 years will be recruited. They will be randomly allocated into two groups (n = 56 per group) after baseline measurement. Both groups will receive 0.01% atropine twice per day for 18 months (one drop in the morning and the other drop at night before bedtime). Defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses will be prescribed in atropine plus optical defocus (ATD) treatment group while single vision spectacle lenses will be given in atropine only (AT) group. Cycloplegic refraction and axial lengths will be monitored every 6 months over 18-month study period. The primary outcomes are changes in cycloplegic refraction and axial lengths relative to the baseline over the study period. Discussion: The result will examine the combination effect of low dose atropine and myopic defocus on myopia control in a randomized controlled study. The findings will also explore the potential benefits of applying 0.01% atropine twice per day on myopic control and its potential side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the design, it is important to evaluate the user experience of representative users in many human product interactions. But, in some cases, it is difficult or even impossible to recruit representative users because they have disabilities that do not allow them to take part in such investigations. Thus, alternative populations are widely studied. The most common way to replace real blind people is to use sighted but blindfolded users when studying design solutions. To test whether such alternative or proxy users can be used to represent blind people in social interactions, we examined the communication quality of 20 blind-sighted pairs and 20 blindfolded-sighted pairs in two different experiments. A prototype named E-Gaze glasses was evaluated as the testing tool. Results clearly show that the blindfolded participants achieved significantly higher communication quality than the blind participants. In qualitative data analysis, the blindfolded participants also reported their user experience of being blindfolded in conversations. Our qualitative results strengthen the conclusion that blindfolded users' behaviour is different from real blind users' behaviour. We recommend that blind users should not be substituted for blindfolded users in human product evaluations when communication quality is measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Digital device use has increased, especially for work and school activities, and with that has come increased reports of digital eyestrain. There is rising interest in the use of blue light-blocking (BB) filters to reduce digital eyestrain symptoms. However, current research is unclear about the benefits. This study assessed the effects of commercially available BB and/or antireflective (AR) coatings on eye movements, reading rate, and subjective assessments of digital eyestrain symptoms. Methods: Twenty-eight emmetropic/contact lens-corrected subjects (ages 22-31 years old; 10 male, 18 female) completed pursuit, saccade, and fixation assessments via the RightEye Dynamic Vision test while wearing un-tinted BB, AR, BB/AR, and control (coating-free) lenses in a randomized order. They then completed a 20-minute reading task while wearing each of the lenses and filled out an eyestrain symptom questionnaire. Results: Pursuits were significantly different between the control and AR lenses (pursuits p=0.04, control/AR pursuits p=0.02). Saccades and fixations were not significantly different between the control and any of the treatment lens options (saccades p=0.10, fixations p=0.72). Similarly, there was no significant percent change in the reading rate for any of the treatments relative to the control (p=0.44). The subjective eyestrain symptom survey found statistically insignificant differences in score for each of the questioned symptoms (p>0.05). Conclusion: No evidence was found to support claims that BB filters with or without AR coat or AR coats alone will improve digital eyestrain symptoms after short-term reading tasks. This finding is consistent with other studies using the same symptom questionnaire. Additionally, no support was found for these filters and coatings to alter clinically significant eye movements or to change reading rate significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with a learning disability experience challenges accessing primary health care services, including eye care services. Methods: Eye care needs of people with a learning disability, and how well they are met by existing services in England, were explored. Barriers and enablers to accessing these services were investigated. This was informed by a scoping review of the literature and a historic literature library. Findings: Adults with a learning disability are 10 times more likely than other adults to have a serious sight problem and children with learning disabilities are 28 times more likely. There is good evidence of high levels of unmet eye care need special schools in England with over 4 in 10 children attending having no history of any eye care. Conclusion: The authors discuss possible systemic changes to address these inequalities in England. These include automatic entitlement to an NHS sight test annually, specialist pathways in community opticians, eye care services in special schools, and peer to peer and peer to professional promotion of services by people with lived experience. Dedicated care pathways have improved uptake of services in other areas of primary care. Research into the effectiveness of lived experience eye health advocacy is needed. Accessible summaries: People with learning disabilities are much more likely to have sight problems but much less likely to get the eye care they need.Everyone should be able to access good eye care.Not getting good eye care puts eyesight at risk and existing problems might not be discovered.We look at what helps people get better eye care and what stops people from getting it.We found that improving awareness, better staff training and good communication are important.Special eye care services for people with learning disabilities have been designed but are not available in much of the UK. Having these specialist services across nations would help more people get the eye care they need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic interventions for individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) are recommended to improve muscle strength, postural control, and range of motion. However, their effects on neuromechanics during a drop landing remain unclear. In addition, even though therapeutic interventions with stroboscopic glasses appear to effectively improve postural control, how they affect landing neuromechanics remains unclear. To identify the effect of balance training with stroboscopic glasses on neuromechanics during a single-legged drop landing in patients with CAI. Randomized controlled clinical trial. Laboratory. A total of 50 participants with CAI were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: strobe (n = 25; age = 22 ± 3 years, height = 174.7 ± 8.2 cm, mass = 71.8 ± 12.2 kg) or control (n = 25; age = 21 ± 2 years, height = 173.1 ± 8.3 cm, mass = 71.1 ± 13.5 kg). The 4-week rehabilitation (3 sessions per week) included hop-based tasks and single-legged stance. The strobe group wore stroboscopic glasses during the training, whereas the control group did not. Ankle-, knee-, and hip-joint kinematics and 4 lower extremity muscle activations 150 milliseconds before and after initial contact during a single-legged drop landing in the 2 groups. The strobe group showed greater eversion (from 150 milliseconds before to 30 milliseconds after initial contact) and dorsiflexion (from 30 to 96 milliseconds after initial contact) angles and peroneal longus (from 35 milliseconds before to 5 milliseconds after initial contact) and tibialis anterior (from 0 to 120 milliseconds after initial contact) activation in the posttest than the pretest. Patients with CAI who underwent a 4-week rehabilitation with stroboscopic glasses demonstrated changes in neuromechanics, including increased ankle-dorsiflexion and -eversion angles and tibialis anterior and peroneus longus activation, during a single-legged drop landing. This finding suggests that use of stroboscopic glasses during rehabilitation could help patients with CAI develop safe landing mechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Myopia and its vision-threatening complications present a significant public health problem. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the multitude of known and emerging interventions to control myopia, including their potential effect, safety, and costs. Methods: A systematic literature search of three databases was conducted. Interventions were grouped into four categories: environmental/behavioral (outdoor time, near work), pharmacological (e.g., atropine), optical interventions (spectacles and contact lenses), and novel approaches such as red-light (RLRL) therapies. Review articles and original articles on randomized controlled trials (RCT) were selected. Results: From the initial 3224 retrieved records, 18 reviews and 41 original articles reporting results from RCTs were included. While there is more evidence supporting the efficacy of low-dose atropine and certain myopia-controlling contact lenses in slowing myopia progression, the evidence about the efficacy of the newer interventions, such as spectacle lenses (e.g., defocus incorporated multiple segments and highly aspheric lenslets) is more limited. Behavioral interventions, i.e., increased outdoor time, seem effective for preventing the onset of myopia if implemented successfully in schools and homes. While environmental interventions and spectacles are regarded as generally safe, pharmacological interventions, contact lenses, and RLRL may be associated with adverse effects. All interventions, except for behavioral change, are tied to moderate to high expenditures. Conclusion: Our review suggests that myopia control interventions are recommended and prescribed on the basis of accessibility and clinical practice patterns, which vary widely around the world. Clinical trials indicate short- to medium-term efficacy in reducing myopia progression for various interventions, but none have demonstrated long-term effectiveness in preventing high myopia and potential complications in adulthood. There is an unmet need for a unified consensus for strategies that balance risk and effectiveness for these methods for personalized myopia management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various near‐eye displays have been commercialized over the past decade. They are approaching to be a form of ordinary eyeglasses. The majority of researchers use planar waveguides as combiner, which do not distort the image beam while being transferred along the waveguide. However, planar combiners do not look like eyeglasses because they are flat, not curved. In this work an optical architecture with curved waveguide for near eye display is proposed. Two conditions for image transfer through curved waveguide are defined. These conditions have been satisfied using a compensator and grating with a law of variation of the grating period in the optical architecture. It was verified by prototyping to aim for eyeglasses with 150 mm radius of curvature of the curved waveguide with a thickness of 2 mm, which performs RGB full color, 30 degrees of field of view and 12×10 mm of eye box for all day use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Myelination of the retinal nerve fiber layer can be found in approximately 1% of the population. It is a benign condition that appears as white and striated, with feathery borders around the peripapillary area. However, with additional findings of axial myopia and amblyopia, the triad can be classified as Straatsma syndrome. Case Report: A 10-year-old female presented with complaints of poor vision in the right eye. Upon examination, the right eye had an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/1000, while the left eye was 20/20. She failed all color test plates in the right eye, while the left eye had normal color vision. Refraction showed -10.50-1.00x045 (20/400- ) and plano. Dilated fundoscopy revealed dense myelination of the retinal nerve fiver layer superiorly, extending from the optic nerve head, as well as a lack of foveal light reflex in the right eye, while the left eye was unremarkable. Treatment for this patient included spectacle correction and close monitoring to assure that the condition was non-progressive. Conclusion: Straatsma syndrome is highlighted in this case report and features unilateral MRNF, high myopia, and amblyopia. Cases with high degrees of anisometropia typically have poor visual outcomes even with treatment. This indicates that there may be an organic etiology to Straatsma syndrome that is not yet understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SignificanceVision rehabilitation providers tend to recommend handheld, illuminated optical magnifiers for short-duration spot reading tasks, but this study indicates that they are also a viable option to improve sustained, continuous text reading (e.g., books or magazines), especially for visually impaired adults who read slowly with only spectacle-based near correction.PurposeThe utility of handheld optical magnifiers for sustained silent reading tasks involving normal-sized continuous text could be a valuable indication that is not recognized by vision rehabilitation providers and patients.MethodsHandheld, illuminated optical magnifiers were dispensed to 29 visually impaired adults who completed the sustained silent reading test by phone at baseline without the new magnifier and 1 month after using the magnifier. Reading speed in words per minute (wpm) was calculated from the time to read each page and then averaged across up to 10 pages or determined for the fastest read page (maximum).ResultsFrom baseline without the magnifier to 1 month with the magnifier, there was a significant improvement in mean reading speed by 14 wpm (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.6 to 24; P = .02) and for maximum reading speed by 18 wpm (95% CI, 5.4 to 30; P = .005) on average across participants. Participants who had slower baseline reading speeds without the magnifier demonstrated significantly greater improvements in mean and maximum reading speeds on average with the magnifier (95% CI, 8 to 32 [ P = .003]; 95% CI, 4 to 36 [ P = .02]). A significantly greater number of pages were read with the new magnifier than without it (Wilcoxon z = -2.5; P = .01). A significantly greater number of pages were read with the magnifier by participants who read fewer pages at baseline (95% CI, 0.57 to 5.6; P = .02) or had greater improvements in mean reading speed (95% CI, 0.57 to 5.6; P = .007).ConclusionsMany visually impaired adults read more quickly and/or read a greater number of pages after using a new magnifier for a month than compared to without it. The largest gains occurred among those with more difficulty at baseline, indicating the potential to improve reading rates with magnifiers for those with greater deficits.

Face style transfer aims to transfer parts of appearance features from a reference to a source face and to keep the important characteristics of the source as well. During face style transfer, hairstyle structure of the reference and personal identity of the source are two important appearance characteristics, but few existing models can maintain both of these features during the transfer process simultaneously. To concurrently retain the two important features, we propose a framework with two stages to deal with the two sub-tasks respectively. In the first stage, our model uses region-guiding masks and the modified cycle loss to generate an image where the hairstyle is transferred adequately. Based on the hairstyle-transferred face, we focus on preserving the identity with a face replacement procedure and refining the image quality in the second stage. In addition to hair-style-aware transfer, we also exhibit that this framework can be extended for other region-aware tasks, such as eyeglasses transfer. User evaluation and the application of face recognition as a metric demonstrated that our proposed framework can generate high-quality images with accurate hairstyle transfer from the reference image while preserving the identity of the source image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic syndrome poses a significant health challenge worldwide, prompting the need for comprehensive strategies integrating physical activity monitoring and energy expenditure. Wearable sensor devices have been used both for energy intake and energy expenditure (EE) estimation. Traditionally, sensors are attached to the hip or wrist. The primary aim of this research is to investigate the use of an eyeglass-mounted wearable energy intake sensor (Automatic Ingestion Monitor v2, AIM-2) for simultaneous recognition of physical activity (PAR) and estimation of steady-state EE as compared to a traditional hip-worn device. Study data were collected from six participants performing six structured activities, with the reference EE measured using indirect calorimetry (COSMED K5) and reported as metabolic equivalents of tasks (METs). Next, a novel deep convolutional neural network-based multitasking model (Multitasking-CNN) was developed for PAR and EE estimation. The Multitasking-CNN was trained with a two-step progressive training approach for higher accuracy, where in the first step the model for PAR was trained, and in the second step the model was fine-tuned for EE estimation. Finally, the performance of Multitasking-CNN on AIM-2 attached to eyeglasses was compared to the ActiGraph GT9X (AG) attached to the right hip. On the AIM-2 data, Multitasking-CNN achieved a maximum of 95% testing accuracy of PAR, a minimum of 0.59 METs mean square error (MSE), and 11% mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) in EE estimation. Conversely, on AG data, the Multitasking-CNN model achieved a maximum of 82% testing accuracy in PAR, a minimum of 0.73 METs MSE, and 13% MAPE in EE estimation. These results suggest the feasibility of using an eyeglass-mounted sensor for both PAR and EE estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the impact on the lag of accommodation (LOA) in emmetropic children after short-term wear of full-field Diffusion Optics TechnologyTM (DOT) spectacle lenses, designed to modulate retinal contrast to control myopia progression. Patients and Methods: This was a single-visit, prospective, randomized, subject-masked study of emmetropes (ametropes ± 1.00D or less in each meridian) with no history of myopia control treatment. Unaided logMAR visual acuity was measured, and ocular dominance was determined using the sighting method. In a randomized order, participants wore plano full-field contrast management (DOT) spectacles (no clear central aperture) or control spectacles (standard single vision spectacle lenses). Each participant was given 5 minutes for adaptation to the respective lenses before open field autorefraction measurements were taken at 6 meters and 40 cm. Ten measurements were taken for each eye. Data were evaluated from the right eye and the dominant eye separately. Results: A total of 30 participants (20 females and 10 males) with a mean age of 10.4 ± 2.8 (7 to 17) years completed the study. There was no significant difference in right eye mean LOA with contrast management spectacles 0.57 ± 0.39D versus control spectacles 0.62 ± 0.34D; Wilcoxon test, p = 0.37. For dominant eyes, LOA values were 0.60 ± 0.40D and 0.68 ± 0.33D with contrast management spectacles and control spectacles, respectively (p = 0.14). Additionally, no significant difference was observed in mean LOA between males and females or between age groups (7– 11 years vs 12– 17 years) for either right or dominant eyes with contrast management or control spectacles (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: Full-field contrast management spectacle lenses had no significant effect on LOA compared to standard single vision spectacle lenses, indicating no differential impact on accommodative response over the short period of lens wear tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refractive errors (RE) are commonly reported visual impairment problems worldwide. Previous clinical studies demonstrated age-related changes in human eyes. We hypothesized that the binocular RE metrics including sphere and cylinder power, axis orientation, and interpupillary distance (IPD) can be used for forensic age estimation of an unknown individual. RE data of both eyes were collected from the clinical optometric exams and prescription glasses of 2027 Egyptian individuals aged between 2 to 93 years. The differences between age groups as well as sides, and sexual dimorphism were explored. Two modeling methods were compared: multiple and stepwise linear regression (LR) versus machine learning Regression Forest (RFM). Data were apportioned into training and test datasets with a ratio of 80/20. The results showed significant differences among the age groups in each eye for all variables. Stepwise LR improved the results over models based on the one-sided lens due to selection of IPD in addition to the left and right axis, and left sphere as independent variables. For the RFM, the left axis and IPD were the most important features. RFM outperformed LR in terms of accuracy and root mean squared error (RMSE). The estimated age within ±10 years showed 81.4% accuracy rate and RMSE = 8.9 years versus 38.5% accuracy rate and RMSE = 17.99 years using RFM and stepwise LR, respectively, in the test set. The current study upholds the significance of the age-related changes of refractive error in formulating alternative forensic age estimation models when standard methods are unavailable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016 WHO launched the priority assistive products list (APL) consisting of 50 products and recommended that using this as a reference, countries should develop their own contextually relevant national APLs. This paper describes the development of Malawi's APL. Two hundred and ninety-six persons with disabilities participated in a rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) survey. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) with people with various types of disabilities were conducted. The rATA questionnaire and FGDs collected data on assistive products (APs) participants used, APs they needed and the challenges they experienced. Data collection was done in six districts spread across the three regions in Malawi. All age groups were included in the survey. Persons with disabilities aged less than 18 participated but went with their guardians. All persons who participated in this study provided consent. Survey and FGDs results were presented at an APL consensus meeting with policymakers, service providers, disabled peoples' organizations and development partners in the disability sector. Based on the results and further discussions, a consensus was reached on the priority APs for Malawi. More than a third of respondents used wheelchairs (32%), followed by auxiliary crutches (25%), walking sticks (13%), reading glasses (11%), prosthesis (10%), elbow crutches (9%) and orthosis (8%). There is also a high demand for products such as pull-up underwear (incontinence products) (79%), hearing aids (70%), reading glasses (59%) and diapers (63%). After intensive discussions during a consensus meeting, an agreement was reached on the 22 priority APs for Malawi. There is a wide range of APs being used by people with different functional limitations in Malawi. There is also a demand for APs that are not readily available. When developing an APL, the list should include products in use, those in demand, and those recommended by service providers. Following the development of the priority assistive products list (APL) by WHO, member states should develop their own contextually based APL. The development of the APL should be based on research evidence. All key stakeholders including persons with disabilities and other functional limitations, government, and development partners should participate in this process. The APL should be part of the national health system or community services. The Department of Disability and Elderly Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development, being the Government of Malawi line ministry coordinating disability issues participated actively in this study including inviting participants in the stakeholders' validation workshop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eye tracking‐based autostereoscopic 3D display provides a large viewing angle, low crosstalk, and large depth perception 3D image experience without using any 3D eyeglasses. However, accurate and fast eye position detection and tracking are still challenging. This study presents an accurate and fast eye positioning algorithm by reducing the computational load of stereo matching and stereo rectification in stereo vision. The accuracy of distance measurement is up to 98.46%. The processing time needed to calculate the distance between the target and the cameras is less than 0.012s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess what eyewear (if any) reduces eye injury incidence and severity in squash, racketball, tennis and badminton. Systematic review following the 'Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses' (PRISMA) and the 'implementing Prisma in Exercise, Rehabilitation, Sport medicine and SporTs science' (PERSiST) guidelines. PubMed, SportDiscus and Web of Science were searched on 22nd February 2023. All study types except reviews were eligible. Studies had to report the type of eyewear worn (if any) with a form of eye injury incidence and severity. 364 papers were initially retrieved and after the screening process 29 remained. A subgroup analysis was carried out on studies that had a sample size of five or above, were not only looking at a particular type of eye injury and that had sufficient data to allow the percentage of eye injuries that occurred when no eyewear was worn to be calculated. From this analysis, the median percentage of eye injuries that occurred when no eyewear was worn was found to be 93%. Some of these injuries were serious and required complex treatment. Prescription lenses, contact lenses and industrial eyewear made some injuries more severe. In squash and racketball, lensless eye guards were ineffective as the ball could deform on impact, still making contact with the eye. Only eyewear compliant with updated ASTM (or similar) standards was associated with no eye injuries and so provided adequate protection in all four sports. Although this systematic review only summarizes evidence on injuries requiring hospital treatment, it is recommended that national governing bodies and key decision makers within squash, racketball, tennis and badminton examine the evidence presented and consider extending existing rules or implementing new recommendations and policies on protective eyewear use to reduce eye injury incidence and severity in their sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wallenberg Syndrome (WS), or lateral medullary syndrome, is a rare condition that occurs after an infarction or stroke in the lateral medulla oblongata in the brainstem. Due to the many structures, nuclei, tracts, and fibres that compose the lateral medulla, WS has a characteristic constellation of symptoms. This may consist of eye movement abnormalities, visual midline shift syndrome (VMSS), Horner’s syndrome, speech and language deficits, vertigo, nausea, and vomiting, along with varying degrees of head/body/limb sensory-motor dysfunctions that can affect posture and balance. This case report analyzes and discusses the clinical findings and the acute optometric treatment and neurovisual processing rehabilitation (NVPR) that were provided to a patient in Canada with Wallenberg syndrome, as well as how NVPR facilitated functional recovery. Case Report: A 67-year-old Caucasian male presented with acute diplopia, a left droopy lid, and listing to his left in his wheelchair. Six days previously, he was admitted to Joseph Brant Hospital after having a two-day history of unsteady gait, nausea/vomiting, and spinning sensation. He was diagnosed with Wallenberg lateral medullary syndrome. A neuro-visual processing evaluation revealed Horner’s signs, visual midline shift syndrome, post-trauma vision syndrome, visual-vestibular dysfunction, deficits in visual figure-ground, and cerebellar dysfunction. Acute optometric care was provided, with artificial tears, sector occlusion, and spectacles with yoked prism prescribed, followed by 20 sessions of inoffice NVPR. Following this course of treatment, the patient was able to ambulate without walking aids. Conclusion: Patients with WS have physical limitations and vision problems that vary in severity. This syndrome will affect balance and ambulation. Acute management with NVPR can improve functional vision and help physical rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Falls and frailty status are often associated with a decline in physical capacity and multifactorial assessment is highly recommended. Based on the functional and biomechanical parameters measured during clinical tests with an accelerometer integrated into smart eyeglasses, the purpose was to characterize a population of older adults through an unsupervised analysis into different physical performance groups. A total of 84 participants (25 men and 59 women) over the age of sixty-five (age: 74.17 ± 5.80 years; height: 165.70 ± 8.22 cm; body mass: 68.93 ± 13.55 kg) performed a 30 s Sit-to-Stand test, a six-minute walking test (6MWT), and a 3 m Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The acceleration data measured from the eyeglasses were processed to obtain six parameters: the number of Sit-to-Stands, the maximal vertical acceleration values during Sit-to-Stand movements, step duration and length, and the duration of the TUG test. The total walking distance covered during the 6MWT was also retained. After supervised analyses comparison (i.e., ANOVAs), only one of the parameters (i.e., step length) differed between faller groups and no parameters differed between frail and pre-frail participants. In contrast, unsupervised analysis (i.e., clustering algorithm based on K-means) categorized the population into three distinct physical performance groups (i.e., low, intermediate, and high). All the measured parameters discriminated the low- and high-performance groups. Four of the measured parameters differentiated the three groups. In addition, the low-performance group had a higher proportion of frail participants. These results are promising for monitoring activities in older adults to prevent the decline of physical capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the impact of vergence dysfunction on myopia progression in children with Defocus incorporated multiple segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled children prescribed DIMS spectacle lenses to slow myopic progression. Baseline vergence dysfunction was determined according to phoria at distance and near. Axial length (AL) measurement and cycloplegic subjective refraction were performed before fitting the lenses and at six-month and one-year follow-ups. The six-month and one-year AL and spherical equivalent (SE) change from baseline were calculated and compared in subgroups stratified with the type of vergence dysfunction. Results: Two hundred and ninety-two myopic children were included. Significant AL elongation and SE progression were observed at six months and one year (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Multiple regression demonstrated that AL elongation at six months (P < 0.001) and one year (P < 0.001) was negatively correlated with age, and SE progression at six months was associated with age (P = 0.002). The AL elongation at six months in children with convergence excess was significantly greater than in normal myopic subjects (P = 0.011) and subjects with convergence insufficiency (P = 0.008), divergence excess (P = 0.007), divergence insufficiency (P = 0.024) and basic esophoria (P = 0.048) at six months. Conclusion: The present research demonstrated that vergence dysfunction influences myopia progression for myopic children with DIMS, and the children with convergence excess suffer from the greatest myopia progression among different types of vergence dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various techniques have been described for the rehabilitation of ocular defects with ocular prostheses to restore lost anatomical structures and correct cosmetic defects. This article describes a technique for optimizing the position of an iris disk over a custom‐made ocular prosthesis, by using eyeglasses with customized graph paper pattern lenses. It presents a simplified method that will be useful for people with ocular defects in remote and distant service areas with limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SignificanceUnderstanding longitudinal changes in why individuals frequent low-vision clinics is crucial for ensuring that patient care keeps current with changing technology and changing lifestyles. Among other findings, our results suggest that reading remains a prevailing patient complaint, with shifting priorities toward technology-related topics.PurposeThis study aimed to understand changes in patient priorities and patient care in low vision over the past decade.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of examination records (2009 to 2019, 3470 examinations) from two U.S. low-vision clinics. Automated word searches summarized two properties of the records: topics discussed during the case history and types of rehabilitative devices assessed. Logistic regression was used to model the effects of examination year, patient age, patient sex, and level of visual impairment.ResultsCollapsing across all years, the most common topic discussed was reading (78%), followed by light-related topics (71%) and technology (59%). Whereas the odds of discussing reading trended downward over the decade (odds ratio, 0.57; P = .03), technology, social interaction, mobility, and driving trended upward (odds ratios, 4.53, 3.31, 2.71, and 1.95; all P 's < 0.001). The most frequently assessed devices were tinted lenses (95%). Over time, video magnifier and spectacle assessments trended downward (odds ratios, 0.64 and 0.72; P = .004, 0.04), whereas assessments of other optical aids increased. The data indicate several consistent differences among patient demographics.ConclusionsReading is likely to remain a prevailing patient complaint, but an increase in technology-related topics suggests shifting priorities, particularly in younger demographics. "Low-tech" optical aids have remained prominent in low-vision care even as "high-tech" assistive devices in the marketplace continue to advance.

SignificanceThis pilot study provides some insight about the potential benefits of telerehabilitation training to improve the reading ability of adults with low vision using magnifiers, to spur future work with larger groups. Telerehabilitation services can be implemented clinically to facilitate access to follow-up care for low vision.PurposeA recent Cochrane systematic review revealed that there are no published visual function outcomes for telerehabilitation with handheld magnification devices for low vision; thus, this study aimed to provide evidence for its preliminary efficacy.MethodsOne to 4 months after receiving a new magnification device (i.e., handheld or stand optical magnifier or portable electronic magnifier), 14 adult low vision patients (with any visual acuity level or ocular diagnosis) received two training sessions at home via telerehabilitation with their vision rehabilitation provider located remotely in-office. Telerehabilitation included a loaner smartphone for Zoom videoconferencing with remote control access software. The Minnesota Low-Vision Reading Test was administered during each of the telerehabilitation sessions to assess near reading (acuity and speed) with the new magnifier.ResultsMean reading acuity with the magnifier was 0.17 logMAR across subjects before training at telerehabilitation session 1, which significantly improved to 0.09 on average a few weeks later at telerehabilitation session 2 (95%confidence interval, -0.001 to -0.16; P = .047). Logarithm reading speed with the magnifier for the reading acuity level at session 1 improved significantly by 0.18 log words per minute on average for the same text size at session 2 (95% confidence interval, 0.06 to 0.29; P = .002). With the magnifier at session 2, 71% of participants gained at least 0.1 log unit in reading acuity, and half improved by >0.01 in log reading speed; all participants with increased reading speed also improved in reading acuity ( P = .02).ConclusionsThese preliminary data support that telerehabilitation can enhance reading ability and efficiency with newly prescribed magnifiers as an alternative option to in-office vision rehabilitation.

In this paper, we present an enhanced approach‐a drive signal management scheme employed on a micro‐display device of optical engine to retune the color uniformity of an Augmented Reality (AR) eyewear display with a the Volume Holographic Optical Elements (VHOEs)‐based waveguide. Our method streamlines multiplexing complexity, necessitating just one optical waveguide and three RGB gratings to attain a full‐color eyewear display with nearly a 16° horizontal field of view (FOV) and less than 3% ΔELab color non‐uniformity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To determine the knowledge and barriers to contact lens usage among spectacle wearers. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2020 to January 2021 on the spectacle wearers visiting Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Data were obtained from all the respondents of either gender, aged between 18 and 50 years, using a structured questionnaire after obtaining informed consent. RESULTS: Out of 362 study respondents, 184 (50.8%) were females, 248 (68.5%) hailed from urban areas, 92 (25%) were graduates. Mean age of participants was 35.94 ± 10.56 years. Majority (n=170; 47.0%) had Myopia, followed by Astigmatism (n=56; 15.5%). A majority (n=284; 78.5%) expressed satisfaction with their spectacles. Overall, 246 (68%) individuals were aware of contact lenses, and 184 (50.8%) participants were knowledgeable about the dual usage of contact lenses for both cosmetic and correction purposes. Females (63.6%) had more knowledge about contact lenses than males (53.9%). Barriers to contact lens wear reported were lack of interest (14.5%), lack of knowledge (13.5%), difficulty in insertion and removal (12.7%), and fear of side effects (9.5%). The younger adults and those from urban areas were more likely to know about contact lenses. A significant association was seen among barriers and demographics of respondents (p-value 0.012). CONCLUSION: Despite having good knowledge of contact lenses, people were not interested in using them as an alternative vision correction tool. Educating people about contact lenses and conducting experimental trials for visual performance on potential candidates may help overcome the barriers to wearing contact lenses.

The prevalence of myopia in children and juveniles has increased significantly in Korea and worldwide; in particular, the rates of myopia and high myopia in East Asia have grown rapidly. Myopia is easily corrected with spectacles or contact lenses. However, as children grow and mature, myopia can progress irreversibly and lead to vision-threatening complications. Thus, the prevention of myopia progression is an essential treatment goal. Many treatment strategies are being employed, including atropine eyedrops, specialized glasses, and orthokeratology (Ortho-K) lenses. Ortho-K is an effective treatment in managing myopia progression by lowering the rate of increase in refractive error and axial length. In this article, we review Ortho-K as a treatment for myopia progression, its history, mechanism, treatment regimen, and safety profile.

PurposeWe examined different methods to reduce the burden of accessing technology for videoconferencing during telerehabilitation for magnification devices for the visually impaired.MethodsDuring telerehabilitation studies over the past 5 years, vision rehabilitation providers assessed and gave training to visually impaired participants with newly dispensed magnification devices at home who connected to Zoom videoconferencing via loaner tablets or smartphones with assistance from (phase 1; n = 10) investigators by phone, (phase 2; n = 11) local Lions Club volunteers in participants' homes, or (phase 3; n = 24) remote access control software in a randomized controlled trial with 13 usual care controls who received in-office training. All participants completed the same post-telerehabilitation phone survey.ResultsA significantly greater proportion of phase 3 subjects indicated they strongly or mostly agreed that the technology did not interfere with the session (96%) compared to phase 1 (60%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-12.5; P = 0.03) or phase 2 (55%; 95% CI, 1.8-188; P = 0.01). The majority indicated telerehabilitation was as accurate as in person (68%), they were comfortable with telerehabilitation (91%) and interested in a future session (83%), and their magnifier use improved (79%), with no significant differences in these responses between phases (all P > 0.10), including comparisons of participants randomized to telerehabilitation or in-office training in phase 3 who reported similar overall satisfaction levels (P = 0.84).ConclusionsParticipants across all phases reported high levels of acceptance for telerehabilitation, with least interference from technology using remote access control in phase 3.Translational relevanceWith accommodations for accessibility to videoconferencing technology, telerehabilitation for magnification devices can be a feasible, acceptable, and valuable option in countries with resources to support the technology.