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Published on: January 29, 2020
Influencing Factors on Pupillary Light Responses as a Biomarker for Local Retinal Function in a Large Normative
Ricarda Jendritza1, Krunoslav Stingl2,3, Torsten Strasser1,2,4
1Pupil Research Group at the Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany.
Purpose:
Investigating influencing factors on the pupillary light response (PLR) as a biomarker for local retinal function by providing epidemiological data of a large normative collective and to establish a normative database for the evaluation of chromatic pupil campimetry (CPC).
Methods:
Demographic and ophthalmologic characteristics were captured and PLR parameters of 150 healthy participants (94 women) aged 18 to 79 years (median = 46 years) were measured with L-cone- and rod-favoring CPC protocols. Linear-mixed effects models were performed to determine factors influencing the PLR and optical coherence tomography (OCT) data were correlated with the pupillary function volume.
Results:
Relative maximal constriction amplitude (relMCA) and latency under L-cone- and rod-favoring stimulation were statistically significantly affected by the stimulus eccentricity (P < 0.0001, respectively). Iris color and gender did not affect relMCA or latency significantly; visual hemifield, season, and daytime showed only minor influence under few stimulus conditions. Age had a statistically significant effect on latency under rod-specific stimulation with a latency prolongation ≥60 years. Under photopic and scotopic conditions, baseline pupil diameter declined significantly with increasing age (P < 0.0001, respectively). Pupillary function volume and OCT data were not correlated relevantly.
Conclusions:
Stimulus eccentricity had the most relevant impact on relMCA and latency of the PLR during L-cone- and rod-favoring stimulation. Latency is prolonged ≥60 years under scotopic conditions. Considering the large study collective, a representative normative database for relMCA and latency as valid readout parameters for L-cone- and rod-favoring stimulation could be established. This further validates the usability of the PLR in CPC as a biomarker for local retinal function.
