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Age-related changes in human blinks. Passive and active changes in eyelid kinematics
W S Sun1, R S Baker, J C Chuke
1Department of Opthalmology, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington 40536-0284, USA.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Eyelid movements change with age, with decreased blink amplitude and velocity observed in older adults. These age-related kinematic changes do not necessarily lead to eyelid motility disorders.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Eyelid disorders are common in the elderly.
- The relationship between normal aging and eyelid kinematics is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related changes in eyelid kinematics.
- To determine if blink disorders in the elderly result from normal aging processes.
Main Methods:
- Studied blinks in healthy subjects aged 40-89 using electromagnetic search coil technique.
- Assessed blink metrics: amplitude, peak velocity, duration, main sequence relationships, and conjugacy.
Main Results:
- Mean blink amplitude and peak velocity decreased with age.
- Spontaneous blink down phase main sequence slope also declined with age.
- Blink rate and blink conjugacy remained unchanged with age.
Conclusions:
- Age-dependent changes in eyelid kinematics occur in normal aging.
- Alterations in main sequence slope suggest central adaptive mechanisms during aging.
- These kinematic changes do not necessarily predispose individuals to eyelid motility disorders.