Myopia is a vital public health problem that affects a significant number of people and can lead to vision loss. It develops slowly and insidiously, with significant progression. It often begins at a young age (from school age up to 25 years of age), disrupting the educational and cognitive processes of children and adolescents and, consequently, their normal development. The treatment of myopia places a substantial burden on the healthcare system in Poland. Refractive errors are among the most common visual disorders worldwide (42%), surpassing eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, or retinal diseases.

Myopia is a refractive error in which the image is formed in front of the retina. This condition requires appropriate correction (glasses, contact lenses, surgical procedures). If left untreated, it increases the risk of developing glaucoma or retinal detachment. The number of people suffering from myopia worldwide is estimated at over 2.5 billion. It is predicted that by 2050 the number of people with myopia will reach 5 billion, which will constitute half of the global population. Over the past 50 years, the prevalence of myopia has doubled in Europe and the United States. Currently, as many as 30% of Europeans have been diagnosed with myopia.

In Poland, according to a TNS study conducted in 2012 among a group of 1,000 Polish residents over 15 years of age, it was found that 37% of respondents have vision problems, most caused by myopia (46%)—source: Stankiewicz A., Misiuk-Hojło M., Ulińska M., Sobierajski T.: Stopping the Epidemic of Blindness. The Medical, Social and Economic Picture of Retinal Diseases, DMA Association for Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Polish Association of the Blind, Retina AMD Poland, Warsaw 2012.

However, the most alarming data comes from East Asia, where myopia has become a true epidemic. For the sake of comparison, 60 years ago 10–20% of the Chinese population suffered from myopia—today this figure reaches 90% of adolescents and young adults.

The innovativeness of the project lies in the inclusion of both functional tests (visual acuity, visual field) and imaging studies of retinal structure (wide-field fundus photography, OCT and angio-OCT examinations), as well as electrophysiological tests in assessing the rate of RP progression. These will be studies unique on a European scale, making it possible to identify potential biomarkers of RP progression over time. In the future, this may prove important for determining the effectiveness of new potential therapeutic methods (e.g., gene therapies).

The project proposes an innovative research approach by applying neural networks to assess the progression of a chronic, progressive, and currently incurable rare disease—retinitis pigmentosa (RP; ORPHA code: 791). To date, no such studies have been conducted elsewhere.

The innovativeness of the project lies in the integration of functional assessments (visual acuity, visual field) with imaging studies of the retinal structure (wide-field fundus photography, OCT, and angio-OCT), as well as electrophysiological examinations to evaluate the rate of RP progression. These studies will be unique on a European scale and will enable the identification of potential biomarkers of RP progression over time. In the future, this may prove crucial for determining the effectiveness of new potential therapeutic approaches (e.g., gene therapies).

Such studies have not been conducted anywhere else yet. The innovativeness of the project lies in the inclusion of both functional assessments (visual acuity, visual field) and imaging studies of the retinal structure (wide-field fundus photography, OCT and angio-OCT), as well as electrophysiological examinations to evaluate the rate of RP progression. These studies will be unique on a European scale, making it possible to identify potential biomarkers of RP progression over time. In the future, this may prove important for determining the effectiveness of new potential therapeutic methods (e.g., gene therapies).