Relationship of accommodative response and nearpoint phoria in a sample of myopic children

Esophoria has been associated with onset and progression of myopia:in children. The induction of myopia by optical defocus shown by animal models suggests that a high lag of accommodation during near work may contribute to myopia in children. This paper examines the relationship of nearpoint phoria and accommodative response in a sample of children with myopia. Accommodative response was measured under binocular conditions with the Canon Autoref R-l autorefractor with a 40 cm viewing distance. Phorias were measured with the von Graefe method using a 40 cm test distance. In the statistical analysis exophoria was scored as a negative number and esophoria was scored as: a positive number. The coefficient of correlation of accommodative response with phoria was -0.32 (n = 73; p < 0.01), thus showing an association of a more positive (more convergent) near phoria with lower accommodative response. The correlation coefficient increased to -0.39 when an exponential function was used, When only esophores were considered; the correlation coefficient was -0.59 (n = 44; p < 0.001). Lower accommodative response (higher lag of accommodation) was associated with greater esophoria.