Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 6, 2025
04:51
Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy
Published on: April 11, 2019
10.0K
Computerized dynamic pupillometry as a screening tool for evaluation of autonomic activity
Avuluru Venkata Sivakumar1, Maruthy Kalburgi-Narayana2, Maheshkumar Kuppusamy3
1Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER), Chennai, India.
Neurophysiologie Clinique = Clinical Neurophysiology
|October 14, 2020
Summary
Dynamic pupillometry, a tool measuring pupillary light reflex (PLR), shows significant correlations with heart rate variability (HRV) indices. This suggests dynamic pupillometry can serve as a complementary method for assessing autonomic nervous system activity.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Dynamic pupillometry quantifies the pupillary light reflex (PLR) as an indicator of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity.
- Heart rate variability (HRV) is the established gold standard for assessing ANS influence on cardiac function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare ANS activity measured by dynamic pupillometry (DP) with short-term HRV in healthy individuals.
- To establish the relationship between pupillary parameters and HRV metrics.
Main Methods:
- 200 healthy volunteers (aged 20-60) participated in the study.
- Pupillary light reflex (PLR) was measured using infrared videography.
- Simultaneous 5-minute ECG recordings were used to calculate time and frequency domain HRV parameters.
Main Results:
- Several PLR indicators, including mean constriction velocity (MCV) and absolute constriction amplitude (ACA), significantly correlated with HRV's high-frequency power (HF).
- Pupillary parameters like baseline pupil diameter (BPD) and minimum pupil diameter (MPD) also showed significant correlations with HRV indices.
- All measured PLR and HRV parameters were within normative ranges for the study population.
Conclusions:
- Pupillary light reflex (PLR) variables demonstrate a significant relationship with heart rate variability (HRV) indices.
- Dynamic pupillometry (DP) shows potential as a valuable complementary tool for evaluating autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity alongside HRV.
