The purpose of this thesis was to investigate age related variations in anterior ocular characteristics and their effect on the response to short-term (one-hour) open eye orthokeratology (OK) lens wear and overnight hydrogel lens wear. Sixty-three volunteer subjects were divided into three groups comprising children (Group I), young adults (Group II) and older adults (Group III). Anterior ocular characteristics that were measured included corneal topography with the Medmont corneal topographer, total, stromal and epithelial thickness with the Holden-Payor optical pachometer, microscopic cell characteristics with the confocal microscope, corneal aesthesiometry, corneal modulus of elasticity, and tear film, palpebral and eyelid characteristics. The older cornea was found to be more spherical in shape (asphericity Q = -0.24 ?? 0.07 in group III compared to -0.34 ?? 0.09 and -0.32 ?? 0.17 in groups I and II respectively) and showed a tendency from with-the-rule to against-the-rule astigmatism. Older subjects also had a decreased endothelial cell density (2596 ?? 111 cells/mm2 in group III compared to 2793 ?? 138 cells/mm2 in group II) and reduced eyelid tension compared to the younger groups. Children were found to have lower blink rates than adults. It was concluded that these changes might have a significant impact on contact lens wear. The responses to two contact lens based techniques, orthokeratology (OK) and hydrogel overnight wear (ON), were studied. Sixty subjects (20 per group) wore reverse-geometry lenses (BE, Ultravison Aust Pty Ltd) of Boston XO material in one eye under open eye conditions for one hour in one eye only. Changes in unaided visual acuity, corneal curvature, corneal thickness and confocal microscopic variables were measured after OK lens wear. All subject groups showed statistically significant improvements (p &lt 0.05) in unaided visual acuity, a trend for more positive (less prolate) corneal asphericity, increase in apical corneal radius and decrease in central total corneal thickness, after OK lens wear. When the groups were stratified, statistical significance was obtained between the older group and the other two younger groups for change in apical corneal radius (0.23 ?? 0.01 mm in group I, 0.15 ?? 0.01 mm for group II, 0.06 ?? 0.33 for group III). The change in asphericity also showed significant differences between the older age group (0.10 ?? 0.08 mm) and the young adult group (0.21 ?? 0.13). Central corneal thinning obtained after one hour of OK lens wear revealed significant differences between the older adult group (-1.9 ?? 3.2 ??m) and the other two groups (-5.0 ?? 5.9 ??m in group I, -5.0 ?? 2.0 ??m for group II). Sixty subjects wore hydrogel lenses (One-Day Acuvue, Johnson and Johnson Visioncare Pty Ltd) made of etafilcon A in one eye only overnight during sleep at their home. Changes in unaided visual acuity, corneal curvature, corneal thickness, confocal microscopic variables and slitlamp variables were measured after ON lens wear. All subjects showed significant thickening (p &lt 0.05) of the cornea with ON wear, more in the lens-wearing eye. This study reported that the edema response induced by Acuvue contact lenses is stromal in origin. The edema response of the older group (33.9 ?? 11.5 ??m) was lower than the other two groups as demonstrated by the difference in the change in central stromal thickness (49.3 ?? 20.3 ??m for group I and 51.0 ?? 20.0 ??m for group II). However, a statistically significant difference in the change in thickness was not reached either for the central total corneal thickness or for other topographic locations. Corneal and visual changes found in this study confirm previous reports of the effects of short term OK and hydrogel ON lens wear. Older lens wearers showed a reduced or delayed response to short-term lens wear. Studies investigating the effects of age with long lens-wearing durations are warranted to quantify these effects further.

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate age related variations in anterior ocular characteristics and their effect on the response to short-term (one-hour) open eye orthokeratology (OK) lens wear and overnight hydrogel lens wear. Sixty-three volunteer subjects were divided into three groups comprising children (Group I), young adults (Group II) and older adults (Group III). Anterior ocular characteristics that were measured included corneal topography with the Medmont corneal topographer, total, stromal and epithelial thickness with the Holden-Payor optical pachometer, microscopic cell characteristics with the confocal microscope, corneal aesthesiometry, corneal modulus of elasticity, and tear film, palpebral and eyelid characteristics. The older cornea was found to be more spherical in shape (asphericity Q = -0.24 ?? 0.07 in group III compared to -0.34 ?? 0.09 and -0.32 ?? 0.17 in groups I and II respectively) and showed a tendency from with-the-rule to against-the-rule astigmatism. Older subjects also had a decreased endothelial cell density (2596 ?? 111 cells/mm2 in group III compared to 2793 ?? 138 cells/mm2 in group II) and reduced eyelid tension compared to the younger groups. Children were found to have lower blink rates than adults. It was concluded that these changes might have a significant impact on contact lens wear. The responses to two contact lens based techniques, orthokeratology (OK) and hydrogel overnight wear (ON), were studied. Sixty subjects (20 per group) wore reverse-geometry lenses (BE, Ultravison Aust Pty Ltd) of Boston XO material in one eye under open eye conditions for one hour in one eye only. Changes in unaided visual acuity, corneal curvature, corneal thickness and confocal microscopic variables were measured after OK lens wear. All subject groups showed statistically significant improvements (p &lt 0.05) in unaided visual acuity, a trend for more positive (less prolate) corneal asphericity, increase in apical corneal radius and decrease in central total corneal thickness, after OK lens wear. When the groups were stratified, statistical significance was obtained between the older group and the other two younger groups for change in apical corneal radius (0.23 ?? 0.01 mm in group I, 0.15 ?? 0.01 mm for group II, 0.06 ?? 0.33 for group III). The change in asphericity also showed significant differences between the older age group (0.10 ?? 0.08 mm) and the young adult group (0.21 ?? 0.13). Central corneal thinning obtained after one hour of OK lens wear revealed significant differences between the older adult group (-1.9 ?? 3.2 ??m) and the other two groups (-5.0 ?? 5.9 ??m in group I, -5.0 ?? 2.0 ??m for group II). Sixty subjects wore hydrogel lenses (One-Day Acuvue, Johnson and Johnson Visioncare Pty Ltd) made of etafilcon A in one eye only overnight during sleep at their home. Changes in unaided visual acuity, corneal curvature, corneal thickness, confocal microscopic variables and slitlamp variables were measured after ON lens wear. All subjects showed significant thickening (p &lt 0.05) of the cornea with ON wear, more in the lens-wearing eye. This study reported that the edema response induced by Acuvue contact lenses is stromal in origin. The edema response of the older group (33.9 ?? 11.5 ??m) was lower than the other two groups as demonstrated by the difference in the change in central stromal thickness (49.3 ?? 20.3 ??m for group I and 51.0 ?? 20.0 ??m for group II). However, a statistically significant difference in the change in thickness was not reached either for the central total corneal thickness or for other topographic locations. Corneal and visual changes found in this study confirm previous reports of the effects of short term OK and hydrogel ON lens wear. Older lens wearers showed a reduced or delayed response to short-term lens wear. Studies investigating the effects of age with long lens-wearing durations are warranted to quantify these effects further.