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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Translaminar Autonomous System Model for the Modulation of Intraocular and Intracranial Pressure in Human Donor Posterior Segments
Published on: April 24, 2020
The short-term influence of elevated intraocular pressure on axial length
Scott A Read1, Michael J Collins, Teagan Annis-Brown
1Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, School of Optometry, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. sa.read@qut.edu.au
Purpose:
To investigate the influence of a short period of elevated IOP (induced through the wearing of standard swimming goggles) upon axial length.
Methods:
Forty young adult subjects (20 myopes and 20 emmetropes, mean age 22 ± 2 years) had their IOP and axial length measured before, during and after a 3 min period of swimming goggle wear. IOP was measured using a non-contact tonometer, and axial length with an optical biometer based upon the principle of partial coherence interferometry.
Results:
A 3-min period of swimming goggle wear was found to be associated with a significant increase in IOP (mean change 3.7 ± 2.6 mmHg, p < 0.0001) and a significant axial elongation of the eye (mean change in axial length of 18 ± 12 μm, p < 0.0001). Both IOP and axial length were found to return to baseline levels upon removal of the swimming goggles. A significant positive association was found between the changes in IOP and axial length (r(2) = 0.37, p < 0.0001). There were no significant differences between the emmetropic and myopic subjects in terms of their magnitude of change in axial length and IOP during swimming goggle wear.
Conclusions:
A small magnitude of elevation in IOP, induced through mechanical means and imposed for a short period of time was associated with a small but statistically significant axial elongation of the eye.
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