# Examination of Myopia Progression and Consequences and Mechanism of Soft Multifocal Contact Lens Myopia Control - Clinical Center

> **NIH NIH UG1** · OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $532,601

## Abstract

This proposal is for The Ohio State University (OSU) to serve as one of two clinical centers for the Bifocal
Lenses In Nearsighted Kids 2 (BLINK2) study, which will continue to follow children enrolled in the original
BLINK randomized clinical trial. The primary goal of BLINK2 is to determine correlates of myopia progression
using non-invasive measurement of biomarkers (choroidal thickness and intrinsically photosensitive retinal
ganglion cell-mediated pupil function) and outdoor light exposure in children. If multifocal contact lenses slow
the progression of myopia by 30% or more compared to single vision contact lenses during the BLINK Study,
BLINK2 will also answer important questions about the consequences and mechanism of the treatment effect,
such as whether multifocal contact lens wear alters accommodative function and whether or not the treatment
benefit is transient. Specifically, BLINK2 will investigate whether myopia progression is slowed or simply
delayed by multifocal contact lens wear and whether there is a “rebound” in myopia progression, an increase in
progression rate, after discontinuation of multifocal contact lenses.
 BLINK2 will identify the myopic children who will most benefit from myopia control by determining those
who are most likely to progress, thereby maximizing the potential for benefit and minimizing risk. BLINK2 will
accomplish this goal by investigating the effect on progression of the most important ocular and environmental
risk factors recently hypothesized to control the growth of the eye. The project will collect the most extensive
longitudinal dataset ever on choroidal thickness in childhood myopia. BLINK2 will test the important question of
whether time outdoors and light exposure influence myopia progression after onset in addition to whether
these effects are mediated by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. If soft multifocal contact lenses
show a clinically meaningful slowing of myopia progression during the BLINK Study, BLINK2 will also answer
many important questions asked routinely by our clinical colleagues: whether accommodation is affected by
multiple years of multifocal contact lens wear in children; whether multifocal contact lenses slow or simply
delay myopia progression; and whether myopia progression increases following discontinuation of soft
multifocal contact lens wear.
 BLINK 2 seeks to maximize the benefit while lowering the risk of multifocal contact lens wear for myopia
control while answering important scientific and clinical questions about the consequences and mechanism of
myopia progression. This application details the OSU Clinical Center's ability to enroll and continue following
myopic children from the BLINK study for three additional years. The application also documents that OSU has
the personnel, experience, equipment, and facilities needed to successfully conduct this study in accordance
with the study Manual of Procedures (MOP). Complete details regarding the...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10240451
- **Project number:** 5UG1EY023210-08
- **Recipient organization:** OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Donald O. Mutti
- **Activity code:** UG1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $532,601
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-04-01 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10240451

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10240451, Examination of Myopia Progression and Consequences and Mechanism of Soft Multifocal Contact Lens Myopia Control - Clinical Center (5UG1EY023210-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10240451. Licensed CC0.

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