FUNCTIONAL OR BEHAVIORAL MYOPIA IS A SERIOUS HANDICAP IN OUR SOCIETY, CHARACTERIZED AS IT IS BY EMPHASIS ON EDUCATIONAL PURSUITS WITH THEIR HIGH VISUAL WORKLOAD.

FUNCTIONAL OR BEHAVIORAL MYOPIA IS A SERIOUS HANDICAP IN OUR SOCIETY, CHARACTERIZED AS IT IS BY EMPHASIS ON EDUCATIONAL PURSUITS WITH THEIR HIGH VISUAL WORKLOAD. NOT ONLY IN EDUCATION BUT IN INDUSTRY AS WELL, THE INCREASING USE OF VIDEO TERMINALS IS EXACERBATING THE PROBLEM. BEHAVIORAL MYOPIA APPEARS TO DEVELOP THROUGH LONG-TERM DEPRIVATION OF THE FAR VISUAL RESPONSE BROUGHT ABOUT BY OVER USE OF THE NEAR RESPONSE IN CONJUNCTION WITH UNRECOGNIZED INTERNAL STRESS. IT IS A PROGRESSIVE PHENOMENON THAT APPEARS TO HAVE STRONG EMOTIONAL, PERSONALITY, AND STRESS COMPONENTS. THE GOAL OF OUR RESEARCH IS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT MYOPIA REMISSION MAY BE ATTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF AUDITORY FEEDBACK OF THE ONGOING ACCOMMODATIVE STATE PROVIDED BY AN AUTOMATIC, SERVO-CONTROLLED, INFRA-RED OPTOMETER. THE STRATEGY EMPLOYED WILL BE TO BRING INTO AWARENESS THE LEARNED AND HABITUAL CILIARY SPASM BY COUPLING THE VISUAL ACCOMMODATION RESPONSE FROM THE OPTOMETER TO A TONE GENERATOR. THIS WILL PROVIDE AN EXPLICIT INDICATION OF THE CURRENT STATE OF THE FOCUS RESPONSE OF WHICH THE TRAINEE IS FULLY CONSCIOUS. THIS RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE A TECHNOLOGICAL BASIS FOR DEFINING A SIMPLER, LOW-COST DEVICE WITH WIDE POTENTIAL APPLICATION AS AN AID TO THE VISUALLY HANDICAPPED.