The Effect of 0.01% Atropine Eye Drops Combined with Auricular Acupoint Stimulation on Myopia Progression and Choroidal Thickness: The Preliminary Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Use of 0.01% atropine eye drops (0.01%A) is one of the most common treatments for myopia control for children in Asia. Auricular acupoint stimulation (AAS) was reported to enhance the effect of higher-concentration atropine (0.25%, 0.125%) on myopia control. This study was designed to compare the effect of 0.01%A combined with AAS and 0.01%A alone on myopia progression and choroidal thickness in children. Methods: A total of 104 children were stratified by age and randomly assigned at 1:1 to receive 0.01%A or 0.01%A+AAS treatment for 6 months. Repeated measurements of cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) autorefraction, axial length (AL), and choroidal thickness were performed at baseline, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. Results: The adjusted mean SE change over the 6 months was −0.38 ± 0.04 D in the 0.01%A group (n = 50) and −0.25 ± 0.04 D in the 0.01%A+AAS group (n = 50), demonstrating a significant between-group difference ( P = 0.02). There was no statistically significant difference in the change of AL or choroidal thickness between the two groups (both P > 0.05). Conclusion: Compared with 0.01%A monotherapy, AAS as adjunctive treatment slowed myopic progression in Chinese children by a small, statistically amount during this 6-month observation. Future follow-up study is needed to verify its effects on axial elongation or choroidal thickness. Trial registration: Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR1900021316. Registered 13 February 2019, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=35435