Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of topical low-concentration (0.01%) atropine for controlling near work-induced transient myopia (NITM) in a young Chinese population. Methods: This was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. The participants were randomly divided into the 0.5% hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose-treated group (control group) or 0.01% atropine-treated group (study group). Participants' pulse rate, respiration rate, intraocular pressure, pupil diameter, and magnitude of initial NITM were evaluated at baseline and on day 7 and 14 during treatment. In addition, ocular discomfort and adverse effects were recorded. Results: Of the initial 176 participants, 145 (82.4%) completed the 14-day treatment and all evaluations. At baseline, no difference in the magnitude of initial NITM was observed between the control and study groups (P = 0.826). However, the magnitude of initial NITM of the study group was significantly lower at both day 7 (-0.11 -0.227 D) and day 14 (0.076 -0.183 D) after treatment initiation, compared with the magnitude of initial NITM in the control group (P < 0.001). No serious complications were observed. However, significantly larger pupil diameters were noted on day 7 and 14 in the study group than in the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: We speculate that daily topical 0.01% atropine application effectively reduced the magnitude of initial NITM, without any serious complications. The minimal pupil dilation induced by the treatment was acceptable. Low-concentration atropine may be useful in clinical settings as treatment for young patients with NITM.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.