This single-center RCT in Guangzhou, China evaluated whether a home-based, head-mounted VR digital defocus vision training (DDVT) system (15 min/day) plus single-vision spectacles (SVS) could slow myopia progression versus SVS alone in 120 children aged 6–12 years over 6 months (July 2024–September 2025).
Over 6 months, axial length (AL) grew 0.15 mm (DDVT+SVS) vs. 0.25 mm (SVS alone) — a difference of 0.11 mm (95% CI, 0.07–0.15 mm; P < .001). Spherical equivalent refraction (SER) changed by −0.23 D vs. −0.46 D (difference = −0.23 D; 95% CI, −0.35 to −0.11 D; P = .003). No training-related adverse events occurred, but a small statistically significant VA difference (0.03 logMAR) favored the SVS-alone group.
- Single-center trial with only a 6-month follow-up limits conclusions about long-term clinical relevance or durability of the effect. - The absolute differences in AL (0.11 mm) and SER (0.23 D) are small; whether they translate to meaningful reduction in myopia-related morbidity is unknown. - No masking was possible given the nature of the intervention, introducing potential performance bias.
VR-based DDVT shows a statistically significant but small reduction in axial elongation and myopic shift over 6 months in children 6–12 years old. Clinicians may consider it as an adjunct to standard correction, but should counsel families that long-term benefit is unproven and further study is needed.
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