[Pupils reactions to transcranial magnetic stimulation in patients with glaucoma]

A comparative study of visual reactions was performed in 38 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and in 53 healthy individuals. Pupillary sizes were recorded before, during, and after transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the primary visual cortex. A significant increase in papillary sizes was found during TMS in the patients with glaucoma, which was more pronounced then in the healthy individuals. After TMS, the sizes of pupils were significantly decreased in the patients with glaucoma; however, they were significantly larger than those before stimulation. In some patients, dysfunctions of visual reactions resulting from impaired regulatory influences of the central areas of the visual system are likely to be one of the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for the development of glaucoma.