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Chromatic Pupillometry in Children
Sylvain V Crippa1,2, Fatima Pedrosa Domellöf3, Aki Kawasaki1
1Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, Jules-Gonin Eye Hospital, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Insights
Age impacts outer retinal sensitivity in children. Younger children exhibit smaller pupil diameters and higher photopic thresholds, requiring brighter light stimuli for a comparable pupillary response. Post-illumination pupillary reaction showed no age-related differences.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Chromatic pupillometry is a valuable tool for assessing retinal disorders.
- Age is a known factor influencing the pupillary light reaction.
- Understanding age-related changes in pupillary responses is crucial for pediatric eye care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate pupil responses to colored light stimuli in children.
- To investigate the influence of age on pupillary light reactions in the pediatric population.
- To assess outer retinal sensitivity and melanopsin activity across different age groups in children.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a portable pupillometer to test 53 children with normal vision.
- Administered blue (470 nm) and red (622 nm) light stimuli of varying intensities after dark and light adaptation.
- Analyzed pupil diameter and post-illumination pupillary reaction, grouping participants into younger (3-10 years) and older (10-18 years) cohorts.
Main Results:
- Younger children had smaller pupil diameters after dark adaptation compared to older children.
- A higher photopic threshold was observed in younger subjects, indicating reduced sensitivity to red light.
- No significant differences in post-illumination pupillary reaction (melanopsin activity) were found between age groups.
Conclusions:
- Age significantly influences outer retinal sensitivity in children, as evidenced by pupillary photopic threshold intensity.
- Pupillary responses to chromatic stimuli vary with age in pediatric populations.
- While outer retinal sensitivity changes with age, intrinsic melanopsin activity appears stable in children.
Abstract:
Chromatic pupillometry is a technique that is increasingly used to assess retinal disorders. As age may be one of the various factors which can influence the pupillary light reaction, this study aimed to evaluate the pupil responses to colored light stimuli in the pediatric population. Fifty-three children with normal vision and without any history of ocular disorders were tested with a portable pupillometer. Four test sequences were used: five dim blue (470 nm) stimuli presented in half log steps ranging from -3.15 to -1.15 log cd/m2 after 3 min of dark adaptation, five red (622 nm) stimuli of -1.15, -0.7, -0.15, 0.3, and 0.85 log cd/m2 after 1 min light adaptation, one bright blue stimulus of 2.2 log cd/m2 and one bright red of 2 log cd/m2. The results were grouped by age: a younger group included 27 children aged from 3 to 10 years old and an older group included 26 from 10 and 1 month to 18 years old. The younger group had a smaller pupil diameter after dark adaptation compared with the older group. A linear regression defining the photopic threshold showed that younger subjects had a higher threshold, e.g., needed a brighter red stimulus to evoke a threshold pupil response comparable that of subjects. Age thus seems to influence outer retinal sensitivity at least as evaluated by the pupillary photopic threshold intensity. The post-illumination pupillary reaction was used as a marker of intrinsic melanopsin activity and did not show any difference between the two age groups.
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