Effects of Induced Myopia on Inner Peripapillary Retinal Layer Structures

Abstract

"Purpose: Myopic eye growth exerts mechanical stretching that can reshape the retinal architecture. This study investigates the longitudinal impact of induced myopia on peripapillary retinal layer structures in the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), a non-human primate model with close anatomical and developmental similarities to the human eye.

Methods: Thirteen juvenile marmosets were reared under binocular negative lens defocus for 23 weeks to induce myopia (six controls and seven treated). Serial measurements of cycloplegic refractive error and vitreous chamber depth were conducted alongside spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging to assess regional peripapillary retinal layer thickness. Segmentation of OCT scans were used to quantify changes in total and individual retinal layers across four quadrants.

Results: Control animals exhibited age-related peripapillary thickening, particularly in the temporal quadrant of multiple inner retinal layers. In contrast, myopic eyes showed reduced thickening, and thinning at times, especially in the inferior and temporal regions. In particular, a significant thinning was observed in the inferior quadrants of the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer in treated eyes. A regression analysis identified the inferior total retinal thickness and ganglion cell layer thickness to be the strongest predictors of vitreous chamber depth.

Conclusions: Induced myopia in marmosets leads to regional thinning of inner peripapillary retinal layers, suggesting early remodeling due to asymmetric retinal expansion. These findings contribute to understanding structural biomarkers of myopic progression and support the use of the marmoset model in translational vision science research."