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Open research questions in Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies

602 gap statements mined from Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 3,375 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The study highlights the need to address the issue of urbanization and its impact on outdoor activities and academic stress. The paper notes the challenge of implementing school-based interventions and promoting consistent sleep schedules.

    Childhood myopia in the modern environment: modifiable risk factors and evidence-based prevention · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for accessible prevention and eye-health services, particularly where eye-care resources are limited. The lack of practical approaches that integrate prevention, assessment and health communication in school eye-health programmes. The importance of evaluating preventive strategies in resource-constrained settings.

    Interpretable machine learning for self-reported reduced uncorrected visual acuity in school students · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies the challenge of limited access to specialized care services in rural areas. The study highlights the challenge of socio-economic deprivation and lack of infrastructure in rural areas. The study notes the challenge of ensuring confidentiality and anonymity in data collection, following the principles of the 1964 Helsinki Declaration of Human Rights.

    Unmasking the Hidden Morbidity of Ocular Diseases in Primary Care Through a Collaboration with Specialists in Remote Areas: A Cross-Sectional Study from Rural Crete, Greece · 2025 · DOI

  • There is a lack of access to specialized care services in rural areas, making it difficult to diagnose and treat eye diseases. The study identifies a gap in the literature regarding the prevalence and pattern of eye diseases in remote rural populations. The study highlights the need for more research on the hidden morbidity of eye diseases in rural areas.

    Unmasking the Hidden Morbidity of Ocular Diseases in Primary Care Through a Collaboration with Specialists in Remote Areas: A Cross-Sectional Study from Rural Crete, Greece · 2025 · DOI

  • Existing studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) intervention can significantly inhibit the progression of myopia, but the specific cellular mechanisms by which EA regulates retinal cell function remain unclear.

    Unveiling the impact of electroacupuncture on retinal cells in myopic guinea pigs via single-cell sequencing · 2026 · DOI

  • Cataract and glaucoma are major causes of vision loss, but their shared geographic burden and potentially modifiable population-level exposures remain incompletely characterized.

    Geographic concordance of cataract and glaucoma burden and associated country-level exposures across 204 countries and territories · 2026 · DOI

  • While lens-induced and form-deprivation myopia models have elucidated the role of visual input in ocular growth, the contribution of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choriocapillaris (CC) damages remains incompletely understood.

    NaIO3-induced RPE toxicity leads to chorioretinal atrophy, scleral remodeling, and myopic axial elongation in mice · 2025 · DOI

  • Information about their eye health is scarce, particularly for those detained offshore.

    Eyes Offshore: Reporting the Eye Health Needs of Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Australia's Offshore Detention Centres · 2025 · DOI

  • Myopia results from dysregulated genetic mechanisms of emmetropization, caused by over-exposure to aberrant visual environments; however, these genetic mechanisms remain unclear.

    Establishment and comprehensive characterization of a novel dark-reared zebrafish model for myopia studies · 2024 · DOI

  • A rebound in myopia progression following cessation of atropine eyedrops has been reported, yet there is limited data on the effects of stopping 0.

    Myopia progression following 0.01% atropine cessation in Australian children: Findings from the Western Australia – Atropine for the Treatment of Myopia ( WA‐ATOM ) study · 2024 · DOI

  • Further investigation into the role of weight management in astigmatism development is warranted.

    Body mass index and astigmatism: A nationwide study · 2024 · DOI

  • Although the precise etiological mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated, this phenomenon may result from a confluence of factors, including earlier biological maturation in females and potential sex-related behavioral differences.

    Combining visual acuity with refraction reduces overestimation of myopia prevalence in school screenings: an age-stratified analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • Future efforts should expand research in neglected areas such as school vision programs, pediatric low vision rehabilitation, and psychosocial support. Research should focus on preventive ophthalmology and the use of genetic underpinnings to improve vision health. The use of technology and teleophthalmology should be explored to improve access to vision care.

    Advancing vision care in children – bridging science, policy, and practice · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for innovative and preventive approaches to improve vision health in children. There is a lack of understanding of the genetic underpinnings of pediatric eye disorders. There is a need for equity, innovation, and integration in pediatric ophthalmology.

    Advancing vision care in children – bridging science, policy, and practice · 2026 · DOI

  • The study aimed to address this gap by systematically comparing the measurement characteristics of 14 anterior segment parameters.

    Comparison of anterior segment parameter measurements between Sirius Plus and Pentacam AXL · 2026 · DOI

  • The pathogenesis of myopia is multifactorial, and the systemic correlates of childhood myopia are not well understood. Contemporary research has predominantly focused on localized ocular mechanisms, with limited attention to systemic factors.

    Objective pulse wave amplitude as a potential systemic correlate in childhood myopia: a digital TCM-based study · 2026 · DOI

  • The analyses did not account for heterogeneity in treatment response between rapid and slow progressors, as they represent average effects that may mask important subgroup differences. Most importantly, the 1 year follow-up is insufficient to assess long-term effectiveness, potential attenuation, or rebound effects.

    Comparison of effectiveness of four myopia control interventions in Chinese children: a real-world retrospective study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of data on the prevalence of myopia among children and adolescents in northeast Sichuan, China. There is a need for targeted myopia prevention and control strategies in this region.

    Current status of vision and refractive errors among children and adolescents in northeast Sichuan, China: a school-based cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • The study aims to address a critical gap in the scientific literature, as preliminary searches did not identify reviews that systematically compiled instruments specifically designed for this population. In the future, the findings of this review may contribute to strengthening public health policies JMIR Res Protoc 2026 | vol. 15 | e81976 | p.

    Instruments for Assessing Health-Related Quality of Life in People With Visual Impairment: Protocol for a Scoping Review · 2026 · DOI

  • The exclusion criteria limit the study's generalizability. The study's focus on quantitative visual acuity metrics overlooks subjective patient satisfaction.

    Comment on “Comparison of visual acuity and optical quality between higher-order aspheric monofocal and standard intraocular lenses” · 2026 · DOI

  • Examining coexisting eye disease in specific populations, - Investigating individual-level co-occurrence or risk relationships, - Further analysis of the exposure associations with cataract…

    Geographic concordance of cataract and glaucoma burden and associated country-level exposures across 204 countries and territories · 2026 · DOI

  • More rigorous, randomized clinical trials to establish the efficacy and reliability of VR technologies, - Research to address the challenges of integrating VR headsets into ophthalmological…

    Seeing Opportunity in Virtual Reality: A Rapid Review of the Use of VR as a Tool in Vision Care · 2025 · DOI

  • Existing research on the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and astigmatism yields inconsistent results.

    Body mass index and astigmatism: A nationwide study · 2024 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the current understanding of the association between axial length to corneal curvature radius ratio and myopia in children and adolescents.

    The predictive accuracy of axial length to corneal curvature radius ratio for myopia in children and adolescents · 2026 · DOI

  • International Journal of Current Pharmaceutical Review and Research…

    Normative Distribution of Axial Length and Anterior Chamber Angle Parameters in an Adult Healthy Population · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of practical approaches that integrate prevention, assessment and health communication in school eye-health programmes (“Interpretable machine learning for self-reported reduced uncorrected visual…”, 2026); (2) Existing studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) intervention can significantly inhibit the progression of myopia, but the specific cellular mechanisms by which EA regulates retinal cell function remain unclear (“Unveiling the impact of electroacupuncture on retinal cells in myopic guinea…”, 2026); (3) Cataract and glaucoma are major causes of vision loss, but their shared geographic burden and potentially modifiable population-level exposures remain incompletely characterized (“Geographic concordance of cataract and glaucoma burden and associated…”, 2026); (4) Although the precise etiological mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated, this phenomenon may result from a confluence of factors, including earlier biological maturation in females and potential sex-related behavioral differences (“Combining visual acuity with refraction reduces overestimation of myopia…”, 2026); (5) There is a need for innovative and preventive approaches to improve vision health in children (“Advancing vision care in children – bridging science, policy, and practice”, 2026). 602 gap statements have been mined from Ophthalmology and Visual Impairment Studies papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 3,375 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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