The accommodative power of the eye affects the refracting power of the eye and the patients have different levels of accommodation at different times. Cycloplegic refraction is the best way to obtain paralysis of accommodation and to allow the objective refractive error of the eye to be measured. Cycloplegic refraction helps determine full hyperopic refractive error and prevents overcorrection in myopic patients. Cycloplegic refraction is typically the gold standard for amblyopic patients who have confusing accommodation and children with esotropia and hyperopia. But when physicians encounter uncooperative young patients or any subjects with risk factors for abnormal binocular vision, the cycloplegic refraction should be performed. Also, in older children and adolescents, cycloplegic refraction uncovers the tonic increase of the accommodation in cases of excessive near work, stress, or latent exodeviation.

Ann Optom Contact Lens 2015;14(3):130-133