Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: The Ocular Blood Flow Analyser (OBFA; Paradigm, Inc) yields measures of the pulsatile component of ocular blood flow (POBF), while assuming constant scleral rigidity and axial length. Longer axial lengths have been linked to lower POBF through their association with myopia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of interocular symmetry and age on standard and axial length-corrected measurements of POBF. Methods: 120 normal healthy volunteers were recruited and stratified, 20 per decade (10male; 10 female), into 6 groups: 1) 20-30 y, 2) 30-40 y, 3) 40-50 y, 4) 50-60 y, 5) 60-70 y and 6) 70-80 y. Using the OBFA, measures of POBF, pulse volume, pulse amplitude and intraocular pressure were acquired for both eyes of each patient in a randomised sequence, and corrected for axial length. Student’s two-tailed paired t-tests were used to explore interocular differences. Regression analysis was used to investigate the effects of age. Results: Hypermetropia increased with age (r = 0.545, p< 0.05). Regression analysis revealed no age-related changes for any of the standard, or axial length-corrected, parameters (p≷0.05). Conclusion: Ocular pulsatility measures exhibit interocular symmetry in healthy patients with healthy eyes, and remain stable throughout life.
Keywords: 309 aging • 542 refraction