Abstract

Emmetropization during early childhood and subsequent eye growth eventuating in myopia are determined by both inherited and experiential factors [1-3]. The high prevalence of myopia and its prominence as a public health problem emphasize the importance of gaining increased understanding of the visual signals that govern eye growth, which may point the way toward possible methods of control and prevention. This chapter summarizes the current state of knowledge of this refractive state, emphasizing research on human subjects. Extensive reviews of research using animal models to study mechanisms underlying myopia are found in Norton [4], Wildsoet [5], and Smith and Hung [6].

© 2000 Optical Society of America