Safety of DIMS Spectacle Lenses and Atropine as Combination Therapy for Myopia Progression

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate traffic safety of Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) spectacle lenses in combination therapy with atropine. Patients and Methods 12 young adults (age: 24 - 45; 30,1 +/- 5,7 years) were recruited to evaluate corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), contrast sensitivity (CS; FrACT), glare sensitivity (Mesotest) under the influence of DIMS spectacle correction alone and combination therapy with 0,01% atropine. Results When looking through the central area of the DIMS lens, far vision does not decrease due to the influence of atropine; influence of glare and atropine leads to a reduction of CDVA by 0.10 logMAR. When forced to look through the DIMS area, far vision is reduced by 0.09 logMAR due to the influence of atropine in the absence of glare; in the presence of glare, no further loss of visual acuity can be observed under the influence of atropine. Contrast vision with DIMS glasses is not altered by the effects of atropine. Concerning glare sensitivity, DIMS lenses did not show any visual impairment that would be relevant to vision and road safety. Additional atropinization does not affect glare sensitivity. Conclusion DIMS spectacle lenses are safe for participation in road traffic and do not relevantly impair traffic safety, neither alone nor under the acute influence of 0,01% atropine.