Horizontal eye movements affect the shape of the ppBM layer. The deformation in normals and AION, in adduction, causes posterior displacement temporal to the BMO. In contrast, the deformations in papilledema are larger, involving temporal and nasal sides, presumably because of shifts in cerebrospinal fluid pressure against the scleral flange and hydraulic stiffening of the optic nerve sheath. The clinical importance of gaze-induced deformations is unknown but repetitive motion may be a factor in the genesis or progression of a variety of optic neuropathies.