Kurzsich­tig­keit (Myopie) ist weltweit auf dem Vormarsch und wurde wegen des erhöh­ten Risikos schwe­rer Augen­er­kran­kun­gen wie Netzhaut­ab­lö­sung oder Glaukom ein öffent­li­ches Gesund­heits­pro­blem. Noch sind die Gründe der Myopie­ent­wick­lung nicht restlos geklärt, es wird jedoch ein Zusam­men­hang mit dem Nahseh­ver­hal­ten (Akkom­mo­da­tion) vermu­tet. Sandra Wagners verglei­chende Unter­su­chung des Akkom­mo­da­ti­ons­vor­gangs bei Normal- und Kurzsich­ti­gen trägt dazu bei, den aktuel­len Trend aufzuhalten.

Preva­lence of myopia (short­sigh­ted­ness) increa­ses consider­a­bly in indus­tria­li­zed count­ries. The mecha­nisms behind this develo­p­ment need to be fully unders­tood in order to attain preven­tion. Research has previously provi­ded indica­ti­ons support­ing a possi­ble link between myopia onset and near vision. The process of changing the eye lens’ refrac­tive power to adapt to diffe­rent viewing distances, refer­red to as accom­mo­da­tion, is initia­ted by the ciliary muscle.

This PhD project, super­vi­sed by Hector Fellow Eberhart Zrenner, compared the accom­mo­da­tion system of young adults with myopia and emmetro­pia (normal sighted­ness) regar­ding changes in both crystal­line lens power and ciliary muscle morpho­logy during regular and sustained accom­mo­da­tion. Further­more, the possi­bi­lity to volun­t­a­rily control accom­mo­da­tion using auditory biofeed­back training was assessed.

Inves­ti­ga­ti­ons of the ciliary muscle’s anatomy were reali­zed using the imaging techni­que of optical coherence tomogra­phy (see Figure), and a new approach to evaluate morpho­lo­gic changes during the muscle’s contrac­tion was develo­ped. This tool will also lay the scien­ti­fic founda­tion for under­stan­ding how the ciliary muscle’s anato­mical changes may corre­late with the neuro­nal signals control­ling its activity.

Findings derived from this project will allow a better under­stan­ding of accom­mo­da­tion, address unans­we­red question regar­ding myopia onset, and support the develo­p­ment of new devices.