Purified high-dose anthocyanoside oligomer administration improves nocturnal vision and clinical symptoms in myopia subjects

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of purified high-dose anthocyanoside oligomer administration on nocturnal visual function and clinical symptoms in low-to-moderate myopia subjects. The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and involved sixty subjects with asthenopia and refractive errors between −1·00 and −8·00 diopters in both eyes. Thirty subjects were administered a purified high-dose anthocyanoside oligomer (100 mg tablet comprising 85 % anthocyanoside oligomer), and thirty were given a placebo in tablet form twice daily for 4 weeks. Prior to the treatment, the placebo and anthocyanoside groups were similar in terms of age and contrast sensitivity. Before and after treatment, subjects completed a questionnaire to determine their clinical symptoms and were also assessed for nocturnal visual function using contrast sensitivity testing. Questionnaire data analysis showed that, following treatment, twenty-two (73·3 %) anthocyanoside subjects showed improved symptoms, whereas only one placebo subject showed an improvement (Fisher's exact test, P<0·0001). Contrast sensitivity levels according to each cycle per degree significantly improved in the anthocyanoside group and remained stable in the placebo group. The mean contrast sensitivity change in the anthocyanoside group was 2·41 (SD) 1·91, compared with −0·66 (SD) 2·66 dB for the placebo group (unpaired Student's t test, P<0·0001). At all cycle per degree levels, contrast sensitivity changes in the anthocyanoside group were better than in the placebo group (unpaired Student's t test, P<0·05). The present data show that the administration of anthocyanoside oligomer appears to improve subjective symptoms and objective contrast sensitivity in myopia subjects with asthenopia.