CooperVision Student of the Year: Finalist in the spotlight

Finalists – Tulsi Patel

Project – The effect of centre distance contact lenses on adult visual function in young adults

Supervisor – Dr Alison Alderson and Dr Graham Mouat

As this very publication bears witness, there is much interest at present in the possibility of minimising myopic progression through various means. As this student project pointed out, one in five teenagers in the UK are myopic and the trend is increasing. High levels of myopia (greater than .00DS) significantly increases the risk of sight-threatening conditions, such as glaucoma, cataract and retinal detachment.

One method that is being tried is the use of centre distance multifocal contact lenses on young adults. The theory is that the lenses maintain a sustained peripheral myopic blur so reduce the stimulus for axial length growth. At present, no lenses are currently licensed in the UK for myopia control and so the use of multifocals is something of a compromise. The aim of this project was to look at the impact of such lenses on visual function.