title: Effects of timolol on visual-field mean retinal sensitivity in normal subjects.
abstract: This single-blind, randomized study investigated the effects of unilateral instillation of 0.5% maleate timolol twice a day for 7 days on visual-field parameters of both eyes. Twelve normal, young subjects (30.6 +/- 4.2 years) participated in this study. Using program G1 of the Octopus 500 automated perimeter, the visual fields were measured one week and one day before therapy and a third time one week after beginning therapy. The paired T-test was used for statistical analysis, where a P-value < or = 0.05 indicated significance. Whereas nothing statistically significant was found in the treated eyes, the contralateral, untreated eyes showed a statistically significant decrease of mean sensitivity between the first visual fields and the third ones (P < 0.01) This diminution of mean sensitivity in the untreated contralateral eyes may be due to statistically significant lowering of blood pressure (P < 0.01) and slowing of cardiac frequency, which were not compensated by a local decrease of intraocular pressure. If confirmed, these findings could be of clinical importance in the management of glaucoma patients, since some authors have, in some cases, recommended a unilateral therapy.
authors.affiliation: University of Zurich, Department of Ophthalmology, Switzerland.
authors.forename: X D
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fankhauser
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Rabineau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013999:Timolol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D013999:Timolol