Driving Performance Under Peripheral Defocus Induced by Ophthalmic Lenses for Myopia Control.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess whether peripheral defocus induced by myopia control spectacle lenses (MCSL) could affect driving performance, thereby posing a risk to driving safety. Methods: Twenty young adult participants (aged 18-25 years), all experienced drivers, were included in the study. Peripheral visual acuity (VA) and peripheral contrast sensitivity (CS) at 40 degrees eccentricity were assessed and compared for 2 conditions: baseline and wearing MCSL. Central dynamic VA and central coherent dot motion (CDM) detection were also assessed in the baseline condition. To study driving performance, participants completed a driving route in a simulator while performing visually demanding secondary tasks in both conditions (baseline and MCSL). The overall driving performance score (ODPS) was obtained. Results: MCSL significantly reduced peripheral VA at 40 degrees (Z = -1.990, P = 0.047) but had no statistically significant effect on peripheral CS (Z = -0.870, P = 0.384). Similarly, ODPS was not affected by MCSL (Z = -0.465, P = 0.642). Significant correlations were found between dynamic VA and ODPS, particularly during visually demanding secondary tasks (rho = 0.325, P = 0.010). CDM detection also showed significant correlations with ODPS both for the general route (rho = 0.737, P = 0.003), and when interacting with secondary visually demanding driving tasks (rho = 0.356, P = 0.004). Conclusions: Although MCSL negatively affected peripheral visual function, ODPS did not show significant changes. Further studies are needed to investigate their long-term effects on real-world driving performance. Translational Relevance: These findings suggest that MCSL may be a safe option for myopia control in terms of driving safety.