Study: One Year of DOT Spectacles Slowed Myopia Progression in Chinese Children

Significant reductions in change from baseline were observed for both AL and cSER compared to the SV control spectacle condition at the six- and 12-month visits. When stratified by age, similar results were observed, although no significant difference for cSER change was found in the six- to seven-year-old group. This graph from the study shows axial length progression rates by age group. Dotted lines represent data for the DOT lens cohort and solid lines data for single vision lens cohort. Photo: Chen Z, et al. Ophthalmol Sci. March 11, 2026. Click image to enlarge. A spectacle lens for myopia control featuring diffusion optics technology (DOT) is thought to slow myopic progression by degrading retinal image quality via lenslets that mimic the visual experience of outdoor, natural light. Some believe that these lenses can reduce the formation of high-contrast images from environmental myopic stimuli, such as screens and reading material, which is hypothesized to decrease contrast burden and potentially slow the progression of myopia.There is a current study in China, the “CATHAY” study, that was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of DOT spectacle lenses in Chinese children compared to single-vision (SV) spectacle lenses over two years. A report that summarized six- and 12-month results from a planned 12-month interim analysis of the CATHAY study was recently published in Ophthalmology Science. It was determined that this lens design based on the modulation of contrast on the retina worked favorably for young Chinese children. The study team observed significant reductions in change from baseline for both axial length (AL) and cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (cSER) compared to the SV control spectacle condition at the six- and 12-month visits.In this interim analysis, 186 children ages six to 13 (DOT 128, SV 58) completed the 12-month visit (modified intent to treat cohort) with a mean age at the pre-randomization eligibility visit (baseline) of 9.6 years. The cohort was 51.6% female, and 19% were in the six- to under eight-years-old group. No severe adverse events were observed in the DOT or SV group.The least squares mean differences in AL elongation and cSER progression were significantly lower for DOT vs. SV at 12 months. The difference in AL change between DOT and SV was -0.26mm, and the difference in cSER progression for DOT vs. SV was 0.48D.The research team did note that the study’s group size was small and included significant outliers for both AL and cSER. Although the sample size did not permit between-group analyses by age, the expected trend toward faster progression in younger age groups was evident.“While differences between groups were statistically significant, the large individual variability seen in the observed data is a reminder that individual results may vary,” the study authors wrote in their paper. “The retention rate and wearing time data for both groups throughout the first year suggest that the DOT lens design was well tolerated by these young participants.”“While speculation about the mechanism of action and its merits vs. peripheral defocus designs will continue, this contrast-modulation design worked well for young Chinese children, supporting the hypothesis that exposure to high contrast environments may underlie the fast myopia progression in Chinese children, as well as in North American children,” the study concluded.Click here for the journal source. Chen Z, Yang X, Liu L, et al. Randomized clinical trial of diffusion optics technology spectacle lenses in a Chinese population (CATHAY): 12-month results. Ophthalmol Sci. March 11, 2026. [Epub ahead of print]. This article was developed by the editorial staff in conjunction with experts in the field. In the process, AI may have been among the editorial tools used to meet the goals of human editors, who approved all content.