title: Ocular autonomic function in progressive autonomic failure.
abstract: Ocular autonomic function was assessed in 4 patients with progressive autonomic failure (PAF) and age-matched control subjects, by measurement of the pupil cycle time, and determination of autonomic denervation hypersensitivity of the iris. Pupil cycle time was abnormal in all patients with PAF; sustained pupil cycling was absent in 5 of the 8 eyes tested of the PAF patients, compared with only 16 eyes from 70 control subjects. Pupil constriction in response to 2.5% methacholine, indicative of parasympathetic denervation hypersensitivity, was significantly increased in patients with PAF (p less than 0.001), whilst pupil dilation in response to 0.5% phenylephrine, indicative of sympathetic denervation hypersensitivity, was also significantly higher in the PAF patients (p less than 0.001). The results suggest that ocular autonomic function may provide a sensitive early indicator of generalised autonomic dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ewing
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D007498:Iris / Q000294:innervation*; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008688:Methacholine Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010781:Photography; D011680:Pupil / Q000187:drug effects; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D008688:Methacholine Compounds; D010656:Phenylephrine