Deprivation Myopia (DM)

Myopia is a refractive defect of the eye, is a condition of the eye where light focuses in front of, instead of on, the retina. This causes distant objects to be blurry while close objects appear normal. Other symptoms may include headaches and eye strain. Severe near-sightedness increases the risk of retinal detachment, cataracts, and glaucoma. The underlying cause is believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The underlying mechanism involves the length of the eyeball being too long or less commonly the lens being too strong. It is a type of refractive error. Several models for deprivation myopia were developed to study the mechanisms underlying refractive error. Using animal models, it was found that the visual environment exerts a powerful influence on refractive state by controlling the axial length of the eye during the postnatal developmental period.