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Purpose.

The mouse eye has a bright retinal image (f/number< 1) but low optical quality (visual acuity about 0.5 cpd) that may render emmetropization unnecessary. However, this species is potentially a powerful model to study eye growth and myopia because its genome can be readily manipulated and has been completely sequenced. We have investigated how precisely eyes of mice can be refracted and tested whether deprivation myopia can be induced by frosted diffusers.

Methods.

An automated eccentric infrared photorefractor was adapted to refract eyes of two mouse strains—C57BL/6 (B6) and DBA/2 (D2)—during Tropicamide cycloplegia without anesthesia. Axial lengths were measured in highly magnified video images of freshly excised eyes. Plastic hemispherical diffusers were applied between postnatal days and 29 and left attached for 7 or 14 days.

Results.

(1) Trial lenses ranging from+ 10 to− 10 D …