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Published on: July 9, 2016
Age-dependent pupillary light reflex parameters in children
Chathuri Daluwatte1, Judith H Miles, Shawn E Christ
1Department of Biological Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.cldc82@mail.missouri.edu
Insights
Pupillary light reflex (PLR) changes with age in typically developing children, particularly before age 10. This noninvasive test shows potential for monitoring neurodevelopment, as age-related trends were absent in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- The pupillary light reflex (PLR) is a basic functional test assessing the nervous system.
- Abnormal PLR is linked to various neurological disorders, but neurodevelopmental effects on PLR are understudied.
- Investigating age-related changes in PLR can offer insights into typical and atypical neurodevelopment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the impact of age on pupillary light reflex (PLR) parameters in typically developing children.
- To compare age-related PLR trends between typically developing children and those with neurodevelopmental disorders.
- To assess the potential of PLR as a noninvasive neurodevelopmental monitoring tool.
Main Methods:
- Studied a cohort of children aged 6 to 17 years with typical development.
- Measured key PLR parameters including latency, resting pupil diameter, and constriction amplitude.
- Compared PLR data across different age groups and with children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Main Results:
- A significant age effect on PLR latency was observed in children under 10 years old.
- Age-related trends were also noted for resting pupil diameter and constriction amplitude in typically developing children.
- These age-related trends in PLR were not evident in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Conclusions:
- Pupillary light reflex parameters demonstrate significant age-related changes during childhood development.
- PLR shows potential as a simple, noninvasive tool for assessing neurodevelopmental trajectories.
- The absence of typical age trends in PLR for neurodevelopmental disorders warrants further investigation.
Abstract:
Pupillary light reflex (PLR) refers to the phenomenon where pupil size changes in response to stimulation with a flash of light. It is a simple functional test that can reveal dysfunctions associated with the PLR pathway. Although abnormal PLR responses have been reported in many neurological disorders, few studies investigated neurodevelopmental effects on PLR parameters. We studied the effect of age on PLR in a group of 6 to 17 year old children with typical development. A significant and consistent age effect was found on PLR latency in children younger than 10 years old. Age effects were also observed in resting pupil diameter and constriction amplitude. However such age related trends were not observed in children with neurodevelopment disorders. These results suggest that PLR has the potential to be used as a simple noninvasive tool for monitoring neurodevelopment in children.
