title: Intraocular pressure as indicator of sympathetic asymmetry in the eyes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the asymmetry in the sympathetic activity in the eyes as indicated by intraocular pressure (IOP).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective cross sectional study, the IOP in 150 newborns, 80 young adults and 159 old people was measured with Tono-Pen under topical anaesthesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean IOP in the newborns was 16.16mmHg in right eye and 15.79mmHg in left eye; in young adults 15.04mmHg in right eye and 14.71 in left eye; in old people 15.16 in right eye and 15.03 in left eye. A statistically significant higher IOP was noted in the right eye in the newborns (P=0.03) and in young adults (P=0.02), but not in the old people (P=0.26). The higher IOP in the right eye indicates the lowered sympathetic activity in that eye.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We hypothesize that the sympathetic asymmetry in the bilaterally placed organs helps to establish the dominant pattern of the organ in the body.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sagili Chandrasekhara
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Satagopam Mitti
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mohan