Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42046494›Full record

Trial reportAnnals of medicine2026

Repeated low-level red-light therapy for improving asthenopic symptoms and accommodation in presbyopia.

Fan Song, Ziwei Zhao, Jian Zhang, Jijing Li, Yue Wu, Yanjun Liu, Pengju Li, Yueye Wang, Mengying Lai, Mingguang He and 1 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Annals of medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06745661 (Investigating the Impact of RLRL on Alleviating Visual Fatigue in Presbyopic Population), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06745661 nacompletednot on this map

Investigating the Impact of RLRL on Alleviating Visual Fatigue in Presbyopic Population

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityRan2025 to 2025Enrolled66ConditionsAsthenopia, Visual Fatigue, PresbyopiaArmsRLRL device, sham device
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Fan SongSchool of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Ziwei ZhaoSchool of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Jian ZhangState Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Jijing LiThe Center for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), Hong Kong.
Yue WuSchool of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Yanjun LiuSchool of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Pengju LiSchool of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Yueye WangSchool of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Mengying LaiSchool of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Mingguang HeSchool of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Yanxian ChenSchool of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo assess the short-term effectiveness of repeated low-level red light (RLRL) therapy in relieving asthenopia and enhancing accommodation in presbyopia.

methodsThis randomized, parallel-group, double-masked clinical trial enrolled adults with presbyopia and self-reported asthenopia. Participants were allocated using computer-generated randomization and randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to RLRL or sham groups. Blinding included participants, examiners, assessors, and statisticians. The primary outcome was the change from baseline in the Computer Vision Syndrome Questionnaire (CVS-Q) score at day 31. Secondary outcomes were the change in accommodative amplitude (AA), Near Activity Visual Questionnaire (NAVQ) score, habitual near visual acuity, near-addition power, accommodative facility, positive and negative relative accommodation, binocular cross-cylinder response, and accommodative convergence-to-accommodation ratio. Continuous outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.

resultsSixty-four of 66 randomized participants (aged 41-62 years) completed the 1-month trial. At day 31, RLRL showed greater improvement than sham in CVS-Q score (adjusted mean difference, -1.75 points; 95% CI, -3.10 to -0.39), binocular AA (1.09 D; 95% CI, 0.37 to 1.82), and NAVQ score (-8.07 points; 95% CI, -14.17 to -1.97). The effect on AA was most pronounced in a subgroup of eyes with baseline amplitude >2.0 D (adjusted mean difference 1.33 D; 95% CI 0.32-2.34). Other measures did not differ between groups at each visit. No treatment-related adverse events were reported. Adherence was similar between groups (mean compliance: 98.2% vs 97.5%).

conclusionsShort-term treatment with RLRL significantly reduced asthenopic symptoms and improved accommodative amplitude in individuals with presbyopia.Trial registration: NCT06745661 (registered December 8, 2024).

Indexed as

Accommodation, OcularAsthenopiaLow-Level Light TherapyPresbyopiaAdultDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRed LightSurveys and QuestionnairesTreatment OutcomeVisual Acuityaccommodation amplitudeasthenopiaPresbyopiarandomized controlled trialrepeated low-level red light

Identifiers

PMID42046494
PMCPMC13126939

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.