Parametric transfer function analysis and modeling of blood flow autoregulation in the optic nerve head

The aim of the study was to establish a parametric transfer function to describe the relationship between ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) and blood flow (BF) in the optic nerve head (ONH). A third-order parametric theoretical model was proposed to describe the ONH OPP-BF relationship within the lower OPP range of the autoregulation curve (< 80 mmHg) based on experimentally induced BF response to a rapid intraocular pressure (IOP) increase in 6 rhesus monkeys. The theoretical and actual data fitted well and suggest that this parametric third-order transfer function can effectively describe both the linear and nonlinear feature in dynamic and static autoregulation in the ONH within the OPP range studied. It shows that the BF autoregulation fully functions when the OPP was > 40 mmHg and becomes incomplete when the OPP was < 40 mmHg. This model may be used to help investigating the features of autoregulation in the ONH under different experimental conditions.