From KEVIN SMITH
Alison Brooks (Forum, 5 February) makes the somewhat surprising assertion
that a primarily genetic cause underpins the orthodox view of myopia.
In fact, myopia can be induced in experimental animals by altering refraction
during development. It is now generally accepted by physiologists that this
process also appears in humans. Thus, in children and young adults activities
such as extensive reading hasten the onset of myopia.
Brooks’s article quite rightly indicates that research is urgently needed
in order to unravel the precise types of ocular activities likely to lead
to the premature onset of this now almost ubiquitous condition.
Kevin Smith Dundee Institute of Technology
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