Effects of tobacco smoking on the human pupil.
OBJECTIVE
Determine the effects of tobacco cigarette or sham placebo-smoking on pupil diameter.


METHODS
Ten non-smokers and 10 tobacco smokers (all healthy, drug free adults) were studied while resting in a comfortable lounger.


METHODS
Tobacco smokers abstained from smoking and all subjects abstained from caffeine-containing products for at least 8 h prior to testing. The smokers each smoked one tobacco cigarette, and the non-smokers each inhaled air through an unlit sham cigarette. Right pupil diameter, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured before and after sham- or tobacco-smoking in each subject. Pupil size was measured from a colored photograph taken with a Polaroid camera equipped with a high-speed flash with the subject in a standardized, dimly lit quiet room.


RESULTS
There was no significant difference in baseline pupil diameter between non-smokers and smokers prior to sham- or tobacco-smoking. After sham- or tobacco-smoking, both non-smokers and smokers showed slight but statistically significant pupillary constriction.


CONCLUSIONS
Shortly after smoking one tobacco cigarette, pupillary constriction was greater than after sham-smoking.
Lie
T C
TC
Department of Pharmacology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-0632, USA.
Domino
E F
EF
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015877:Miosis / Q000209:etiology*; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011680:Pupil / Q000187:drug effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*
D009538:Nicotine