IS MYOPIA RELATED TO AMPLITUDE OF ACCOMMODATION

PURPOSE: To report the association between amplitude of accommodation and refractive error. METHODS: Refractive error and amplitudes of acco mmodation were measured in 1,148 eyes of 696 patients as part of the E arly Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study, RESULTS: Eyes with myopia, defined as these with a refractive error of -0.75 diopter or more, hav e lower accommodative amplitudes (P = .005). After multivariate logist ic regression analysis adjusting for age, occupation, and white race, lower amplitudes of accommodation remained associated with myopia (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Eyes with lower amplitudes of accommodation must u se more of their accommodative reserve for near work. Myopia may be an adaptation that develops in eyes with reduced accommodative amplitude s.