Biomaterial Database

Attenuation of the pupillary light reflex in anxious patients. 1990

A Bakes, and C M Bradshaw, and E Szabadi

Department of Psychiatry, University of Manchester.

1. The miotic responses evoked by brief light stimuli were compared between a group of 10 patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder and 10 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. 2. Resting pupil diameter in the dark did not differ significantly between the two groups. 3. In both groups, the amplitude of the light reflex was linearly related to the logarithm of the intensity of the light stimulus; responses in the anxious patient group had consistently lower amplitudes than those in the control group. 4. In both groups, the time taken for 75% recovery of the baseline pupil diameter following a light stimulus was linearly related to the logarithm of the light intensity; the 75% recovery times did not differ significantly between the two groups. 5. It is suggested that these results are consistent with a greater supranuclear inhibition of the parasympathetic oculomotor reflex arc in the anxious patients.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010775	Photic Stimulation	Investigative technique commonly used during ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY in which a series of bright light flashes or visual patterns are used to elicit brain activity.	Stimulation, Photic,Visual Stimulation,Photic Stimulations,Stimulation, Visual,Stimulations, Photic,Stimulations, Visual,Visual Stimulations
D012025	Reflex, Pupillary	Constriction of the pupil in response to light stimulation of the retina. It refers also to any reflex involving the iris, with resultant alteration of the diameter of the pupil. (Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed)	Pupillary Reflex
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D001008	Anxiety Disorders	Persistent and disabling ANXIETY.	Anxiety Neuroses,Anxiety States, Neurotic,Neuroses, Anxiety,Anxiety Disorder,Anxiety State, Neurotic,Disorder, Anxiety,Disorders, Anxiety,Neurotic Anxiety State,Neurotic Anxiety States,State, Neurotic Anxiety,States, Neurotic Anxiety
D015877	Miosis	Pupillary constriction. This may result from congenital absence of the dilatator pupillary muscle, defective sympathetic innervation, or irritation of the CONJUNCTIVA or CORNEA.	Pupillary Miosis,Constricted Pupil,Miosis, Persistent,Small Pupil,Constricted Pupils,Mioses,Mioses, Persistent,Mioses, Pupillary,Miosis, Pupillary,Persistent Mioses,Persistent Miosis,Pupil, Constricted,Pupil, Small,Pupillary Mioses,Pupils, Constricted,Pupils, Small,Small Pupils