Berlin startup Dopavision is building an app to fight myopia in children

Research indicates that myopia — aka nearsightedness — is becoming more prevalent as children spend more time with digital devices held up close to their faces, and less time outdoors. Fighting fire with fire, Dopavision is working on MyopiaX, a smartphone app that will counter the negative effects of all that screen time in kids between the ages of 6 and 14. 

How it works? Nearsightedness is caused by a slightly elongated eyeball, which causes light from distant objects to land in front of the retina instead of directly on it, resulting in blurry vision. To slow further elongation of the eye, MyopiaX will use light signals that target specific cells in the retina, stimulating the release of dopamine. (Abnormal dopamine levels have been associated with myopia development.)

To keep children engaged, MyopiaX will integrate those therapeutic lights into a game. Dopavision is currently preparing a randomized controlled trial of 230 children at sites across Europe to investigate the ability of MyopiaX to slow the progression of myopia, and to evaluate the app's safety. If all goes as planned, it would be the first digital therapy to control childhood myopia. Berlin-based Dopavision recently raised EUR 12 million in a Series A round of funding.