The Gompertz function provides estimates of the age and the amount of myopia at stabilization in an ethnically diverse cohort. These findings should provide guidance on the time course of myopia and on decisions regarding the type and timing of interventions.

40% (n=38). This study shows that there is unregistered visual impairment in patients attending ophthalmic departments. As registration triggers multidisciplinary support, ophthalmologists need to be more alert to the benefits and criteria for partial sight and blind registration. (BrJ Ophthalmol 1994; 78: 736-740)

Purpose To examine the relationship of choroidal thickness with axial length (AL) and myopia in young adult eyes in the ethnically diverse Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET) cohort. Design Cross-sectional, multi-center, study Methods In addition to measures of myopia by cycloplegic autorefraction and AL by A-scan ultrasonography, participants underwent optical coherence tomography imaging of the choroid (RTVue) in both eyes at their last visit (14 years after baseline). Using digital calipers, two independent readers measured choroidal thickness in the right eye (left eye if poor quality; n=37) at seven locations: fovea and 750, 1500, 2250μm nasal (N) and temporal (T) to the fovea. Results Choroidal thickness measurements were available from 294/346 (85%) of imaged participants (mean age: 24.3±1.4 years; 44.9% male) with mean myopia of -5.3±2.0D and mean AL of 25.5±1.0mm. Overall, choroidal thickness varied by location (p<0.0001) and was thickest at the fovea (273.8±70.9 μm) and thinnest nasally (N2250,191.5±69.3 μm). Multivariable analyses showed significantly thinner choroids in eyes with more myopia and longer AL at all locations except T2250 (p≤0.001) and presence of peri-papillary crescent at all locations except T1500 and T2250 (p≤0.0001). Choroidal thickness varied by ethnicity at N2250 (p<0.0001), with Asians having the thinnest and African Americans the thickest choroids. Conclusion Choroids are thinner in longer, more myopic young adult eyes. The thinning was most prominent nasally and in eyes with a crescent. In the furthest nasal location, ethnicity was associated with choroidal thickness. The findings suggest that choroidal thickness should be evaluated, especially in the nasal regions where myopic degenerations are most commonly seen clinically.

The study compared young and old intellectually superior individuals (mean ages 22.8 and 68.8) on Brown-Peterson memory tasks. Each trial required recall of four words following 15 seconds of backward counting, with a final recognition test for words in a 4-trial block. Each person participated in a switch and nonswitch condition of a Wickens paradigm--unchanged category membership of quadruplets for nonswitch and trial 4 change for switch. Usual recall loss from trial 2 onwards and recovery on trial 4 after a switch was found in both age groups, but significantly lower recall was shown by the old on trial 3 and also on trial 4 in the nonswitch condition. Recognition by the young was almost perfect, but the old had lower scores for words presented on trials 3 and 4 (nonswitch). All memory interference in young adults could, therefore, be attributed to retrieval difficulty, but a residual proactive deficit occurs in old adults.

SUMMARY The needs of children with spina bifida who have visual handicap and the role played by the RNIB Education Advisory Service in meeting them is discussed.