Comparison of intraocular pressure changes after viewing laptop computer and tablet computer: A pilot study

Abstract

Prolonged computer use has been reported to be associated with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and an increased risk of Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). However, this issue has been one of controversy. This study aimed to preliminarily investigate the effect of using a laptop computer and tablet computer in terms of changes to IOP in healthy adult participants. Ten healthy participants (aged 27.6 (6.4) years, ranging 21-39 years; male: female = 2:8) participated and were randomly assigned to either the laptop computer user or the tablet computer user group. Each subject was requested to work on either a laptop or tablet for 60 minutes. The IOP was subsequently measured via a non-contact tonometer in both eyes at 15, 30, 45, and 60-minute intervals. Pre-intervention IOP and IOP changes were compared within and between groups. The results showed that mean IOP at each interval was not significantly different when compared among pre-intervention at different time points in both eyes. Mean IOP in the laptop computer group was slightly higher than that of the tablet computer group, yet there was no significant difference. The results of this study demonstrate that laptop and tablet usage for 60 minutes may not affect IOP levels in healthy volunteers. Hence, further research involving a larger sample size and longer exposure time to computer screens is needed.