Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2024, Vision Science

Globally, the number of people with myopia is high and is expected to impact roughly 50% of the population by 2050. Myopia has many pathological complications associated with ocular health and consequences can, in rare instances, lead to blindness. Evidence-based studies regarding the development of myopic refractive error have sought to determine mechanisms for its onset and progression, however the exact mechanism(s) has not been identified. It is suggested that a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors lead to myopic refractive error. One particular mechanism is intra-retinal dopamine release associated with light-stimulated intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) that are most sensitive to blue light (480nm). The purpose of this study is to compare the older RAPDx pupillometer to the newer EyeKinetix pupillometer to determine if the brighter stimuli used by EyeKinetix pupillometry is able to generate an association between refractive error and axial length. By utilizing alternating and single-color stimuli, it is hypothesized that pupil constrictions will be more robust with the brighter stimuli and that myopic subjects will have less adaptive pupillary constrictions throughout the course of the procedure than those who are less myopic/hyperopic.

Committee: Donald Mutti (Advisor); Jeffrey Walline (Committee Member); Andrew Hartwick (Committee Member) Subjects: Ophthalmology