- Design
- Single-centre randomised clinical trial
- Population
- 120 myopic children aged 6–12, China
- Primary outcome
- Axial length change at 6 months
- Effect
- 0.15 vs 0.25 mm; difference 0.11 mm (95% CI 0.07 to 0.15)
A single-centre trial in Guangzhou randomised 120 myopic children aged 6 to 12 to single-vision spectacles alone or spectacles plus 15 minutes a day of home virtual reality defocus training.
At six months, axial length grew 0.15 mm with training against 0.25 mm without (difference 0.11 mm, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.15). Refraction progressed −0.23 D against −0.46 D. No training-related adverse events were reported.
The effect is small and short-term. It is not yet comparable with established options such as low-dose atropine, defocus spectacles or orthokeratology, which have longer follow-up.
- Continue to offer established myopia control options first.
- Encourage outdoor time and screen breaks.
- Do not recommend VR devices outside trials yet.
Why it matters
A home-based, screen-delivered therapy would be easy to scale if the effect holds.
Don't overread it
Six months, one centre, no active comparator.
The statistics, in plain English
A 0.11 mm difference over six months is real but small; whether it persists or adds up over years is unknown.
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