Intraocular Pressure Changes during Accommodation in Progressing Myopes, Stable Myopes and Emmetropes

PURPOSE: To investigate the changes of intraocular pressure (IOP) induced by 3-diopter (3 D) accommodation in progressing myopes, stable myopes and emmetropes. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: 318 subjects including 270 myopes and 48 emmetropes. METHODS: 195 progressing myopes, 75 stable myopes and 48 emmetropes participated in this study. All subjects had their IOP measured using iCare rebound tonometer while accommodative stimuli of 0 D and 3 D were presented. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: IOP values without accommodation and with 3 D accommodation were measured in all subjects. Baseline IOPs and IOP changes were compared within and between groups. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in IOPs between progressing myopes, stable myopes and emmetropes when no accommodation was induced (17.47±3.46, 16.62±2.98 and 16.80±3.62 respectively, p>0.05). IOP experienced an insignificantly slight decrease after 3 D accommodation in three groups (mean change -0.19±2.16, -0.03±1.68 and -0.39±2.65 respectively, p>0.05). Subgroup analysis showed in progressing myopic group, IOP of children (<18 years old) declined with accommodation while IOP of adults (≥18 years) increased, and the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.008). However, after excluding the age factor, accommodation induced IOP changes of high progressing myopes (≤-6 D), low, moderate and non-myopes (>-6 D) was not significantly different after Bonferroni correction (p = 0.838). CONCLUSIONS: Although no difference was detected between the baseline IOPs and accommodation induced IOP changes in progressing myopes, stable myopes and emmetropes, this study found accommodation could cause transient IOP elevation in adult progressing myopes.