Differences in visual stimulation between reading and walking and implications for myopia development

Poudel, Sabina; Rahimi-Nasrabadi, Hamed; Jin, Jianzhong; Najafian, Sohrab; Alonso, José‐Manuel

doi:10.1167/jov.23.4.3

Cited by 3 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 111 publications

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“…We have previously demonstrated that low contrasts are more common among light than those among dark stimuli in outdoor scenes, which may explain why ON pathways have higher contrast sensitivity than OFF pathways ( Rahimi-Nasrabadi et al, 2021 ). Taken together with previous work, our results indicate that poor stimulation of ON pathways in low light environments may lead to ON pathway deficits and myopia progression ( Jones et al, 2007 ; Rose et al, 2008 ; Ashby et al, 2009 ; Pons et al, 2017 , 2019 ; Poudel et al, 2023 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…10 a : 2.24 ± 0.10 and 2.16 ± 0.10) and the differences between eyes were even smaller ( Fig. 10 a , black and orange lines; see also Poudel et al, 2023 ). Across subjects, the strength of the retinal response was not correlated with the mean pupil size ( r = 0.08; p = 0.63 in OFF pathways; r = 0.03; p = 0.87 in ON pathways), but it was strongly correlated with its standard deviation ( Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…We have previously proposed that poor stimulation of ON pathways in environments with low light and/or poor light contrast (e.g., reading under dim light) could make ON pathways weaker and reduce the ON pathway signals needed to stop eye growth ( Poudel et al, 2023 ). We now directly demonstrate that ON pathways are weaker in human myopia and that ON pathway deficits are associated with a loss of contrast sensitivity and a deficit in pupil constriction ( Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…11 b ). This cycle may be interrupted by increasing natural visual stimulation outdoors ( Poudel et al, 2023 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contrast Sensitivity of ON and OFF Human Retinal Pathways in Myopia

Poudel,

Jin,

Rahimi-Nasrabadi

et al. 2023

J. Neurosci.

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The human visual cortex processes light and dark stimuli with ON and OFF pathways that are differently modulated by luminance contrast. We have previously demonstrated that ON cortical pathways have higher contrast sensitivity than OFF cortical pathways and the difference increases with luminance range (defined as the maximum minus minimum luminance in the scene). Here, we demonstrate that these ON-OFF cortical differences are already present in the human retina and that retinal responses measured with electroretinography are more affected by reductions in luminance range than cortical responses measured with electroencephalography. Moreover, we show that ON-OFF pathway differences measured with electroretinography become more pronounced in myopia, a visual disorder that elongates the eye and blurs vision at far distance. We find that, as the eye axial length increases across subjects, ON retinal pathways become less responsive, slower in response latency, less sensitive, and less effective and slower at driving pupil constriction. Based on these results, we conclude that myopia is associated with a deficit in ON pathway function that decreases the ability of the retina to process low contrast and regulate retinal illuminance in bright environments.Significance StatementContrast sensitivity is an important visual function that allows discriminating faint visual targets slightly lighter or darker than the background. We have previously demonstrated that ON and OFF cortical pathways signaling light and dark stimuli have different contrast sensitivity and the difference increases with luminance range. Here, we demonstrate that these ON-OFF sensitivity differences are inherited from the retina and are affected by myopia (nearsightedness), a visual disorder that blurs vision at far distances and is becoming a world epidemic. We show that myopia is associated with a retinal deficit that makes ON pathways less effective at signaling contrast and regulating retinal illuminance. These results could have clinical implications and may lead to novel approaches for myopia control.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…11 b ). This cycle may be interrupted by increasing natural visual stimulation outdoors ( Poudel et al, 2023 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Contrast Sensitivity of ON and OFF Human Retinal Pathways in Myopia

Poudel,

Jin,

Rahimi-Nasrabadi

et al. 2023

J. Neurosci.

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“…In contrast, white text on black background for ON channel stimulation resulted in choroidal thickening [ 4 ]. Recently, a study in humans also showed that reading, which is associated with myopia progression, is under-stimulating the ON pathways [ 33 ]. These previous findings on protective effects of relative ON channel activation are in line with refractive development in human retinopathy of prematurity: here, reduced ON pathway activity was shown to disrupt emmetropization and led to a significantly higher risk of developing myopia [ 7 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ON and OFF receptive field processing in the presence of optical scattering

Breher¹,

Neumann²,

Kurth³

et al. 2023

Biomed. Opt. Express

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The balance of ON/OFF pathway activation in the retina plays a role in emmetropization. A new myopia control lens design uses contrast reduction to down-regulate a hypothesized enhanced ON contrast sensitivity in myopes. The study thus examined ON/OFF receptive field processing in myopes and non-myopes and the impact of contrast reduction. A psychophysical approach was used to measure the combined retinal-cortical output in the form of low-level ON and OFF contrast sensitivity with and without contrast reduction in 22 participants. ON responses were lower than OFF responses (ON 1.25 ± 0.03 vs. OFF 1.39 ± 0.03 log(CS); p < 0.0001) and myopes showed generally reduced sensitivities (myopes 1.25 ± 0.05 vs. non-myopes 1.39 ± 0.05 log(CS); p = 0.05). These findings remained unaffected by contrast reduction (p > 0.05). The study suggests that perceptual differences in ON and OFF signal processing between myopes and non-myopes exist but cannot explain how contrast reduction can inhibit myopia development.

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Mechanisms of emmetropization and what might go wrong in myopia

Schaeffel,

Swiatczak

2024

Vision Research

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Differences in visual stimulation between reading and walking and implications for myopia development

Cited by 3 publications

References 111 publications

Contrast Sensitivity of ON and OFF Human Retinal Pathways in Myopia

Contrast Sensitivity of ON and OFF Human Retinal Pathways in Myopia

ON and OFF receptive field processing in the presence of optical scattering

Mechanisms of emmetropization and what might go wrong in myopia

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