Abstract
Purpose :
To study whether listening to music has an impact on intraocular pressure (IOP), and explore underlying mechanism of IOP variation using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT).
Methods :
The study consisted of two parts. First, three kinds of music, specifically soothing, positive and negative music were used respectively in 15 healthy subjects. IOP was measured using Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) before and after music intervention. The music that reduced IOP was utilized for the following part. In the second part, IOP at 6 time points of 7:30, 9:30, 11:30, 13:30, 15:30 and 17:30 was measured in 15 healthy subjects to determine when the individual’s IOP peaked. On the next day, the subject listened to the aforementioned music for 15 minutes at his/her IOP peak time. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and IOP were measured, and the Schlemm’s canal (SC) at nasal, temporal, superior, and inferior limbus were imaged by SS-OCT before and after listening to music. The diameter and the cross-sectional area of the SC were measured by ImageJ.
Results :
Mean IOP changes induced by soothing, positive and negative music were -1.66mmHg (p=0.0157), -0.20mmHg (p=0.5661), and 1.27mmHg (p= 0.0147). So we used soothing music in the second part. Mean IOP at each time point was 12.12, 11.33, 11.98, 10.63, 11.38, and 12.35mmHg. In part 2, IOP was lowered significantly by 1.26mmHg (p=0.0114). The observable rate of SC was highest in the temporal region (96.7%) and lowest in the inferior region (67.7%). SC area in the nasal quadrant showed a significant enlargement (53.88 pixels, p=0.0384). SC area in the temporal region showed a tendency towards enlargement (26.64 pixels, p= 0.0742). The variations of HR and BP were not significant.
Conclusions :
Listening to soothing music could lower IOP, while negative music has an opposite effect. Listening to soothing music could reduce IOP, possibly related to the dilation of Schlemm’s canal. The influence of music on SC needs to be further investigated.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2018 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, April 29 - May 3, 2018.