Accommodation-induced intraocular pressure changes in progressing myopes and emmetropes

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Vision Science

Background:

• Intraocular pressure (IOP) is a key factor in glaucoma and ocular health.
• Myopia progression is a growing concern, with potential links to various ocular parameters.
• Understanding how accommodation affects ocular structures and pressure is crucial for myopia management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare intraocular pressure (IOP) and anterior eye segment changes during accommodation in progressing myopes versus emmetropes.
• To investigate the relationship between accommodative effort and ocular biometric parameters in different refractive groups.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 46 progressing myopes and 40 emmetropes.
• Measured IOP and anterior segment parameters (corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, angle width, lens thickness) using rebound tonometer and OCT.
• Assessed parameters under varying accommodative stimuli (0D, 3D, 6D).

Main Results:

• No significant IOP difference between groups without accommodation.
• Accommodation induced a significant IOP increase in progressing myopes (+1.02 mm Hg from 0D to 6D), but not in emmetropes.
• Accommodation led to decreased anterior chamber depth, narrowed angles, and thickened lenses in both groups.

Conclusions:

• Accommodation can transiently elevate IOP in progressing myopes, unlike emmetropes.
• Anterior segment structural changes (shallower chamber, narrower angle, thicker lens) occur with accommodation in both groups.
• Accommodation-induced IOP elevation in myopes may be associated with myopia progression.