Abstract
Purpose
To analyze the effect of the daily use of brimonidine tartrate 0.15% on the dark-adapted pupil diameter in dark brown irides.
Methods
Twenty-five healthy volunteers administered brimonidine tartrate 0.15% to their right eyes once daily for 3 weeks. Infrared digital photographs of the pupil were taken before administration and 1 hour and 4 hours after administration after dark adaptation (at <0.1 lux ambient illumination for 5 minutes). The diameters of both pupils were measured on the first day, on administration days 7 and 21, and on washout day 7.
Results
Four hours after the first administration, pupils showed a decrease of 0.95±0.74 mm, 1.03±0.94 mm, 0.61±0.85 mm on the first day, administration day 7, and administration day 21, respectively ( p<0.01), compared with baseline data. The anti-mydriatic effect of brimonidine was sustained for 3 weeks, but the proportions of the eyes showing a reduction in pupil diameter by 0.5 mm or more were 84%, 76%, 68%, and 52% at 4 hours on the first day, administration days 7 and 21, and washout day 7, respectively.
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![]() | Figure 1.The effect of brimonidine tartrate 0.15% on the pupil size under scotopic condition. Infrared digital photography was taken under scotopic condition (less than 0.1 lux) before (left column) and 1 hour and 4 hour (right column) after instillation of brimonidine on start day, administration days 7, 21, and washout day 7. The pupil diameter was decreased after instillation of brimonidine compared to before adminstration on each day. The pre-administration diameter of pupil on administration days 7 (6.33±0.73 mm) and 21 (6.18±1.07 mm) was also decreased compared to the baseline pupil diameter of start day(6.66±0.92mm). Note that the pre-administration diameter of pupil on washout day 7 was increased when compared to the baseline of start day. |
Table 1.
Comparison of scotopic pupil diameter (PD) of the right eye in the order of time
Measure time | PD (range) | Δ PD* ( p-value) | Δ PD† ( p-value) | |
before | 6.66±0.92 mm (4.32~8.28) | |||
Start day | 1 hr | 5.76±1.10 mm (2.48~7.36) | 0.90±0.75 mm (<0.001) | 0.90±0.75 mm (<0.001) |
4 hr | 5.72±1.07 mm (3.16~7.14) | 0.95±0.74 mm (<0.001) | 0.95±0.74 mm (<0.001) | |
before | 6.33±0.73 mm (5.07~7.43) | 0.33±0.72 mm (0.029) | ||
Administration day 7 | 1 hr | 5.57±0.92 mm (4.14~7.16) | 0.76±0.56 mm (<0.001) | 1.09±0.79 mm (<0.001) |
4 hr | 5.63±1.05 mm (3.30~7.50) | 0.70±0.63 mm (<0.001) | 1.03±0.94 mm (<0.001) | |
before | 6.18±1.07 mm (3.39~7.97) | 0.48±0.88 mm (0.011) | ||
Administration day 21 | 1 hr | 5.98±1.25 mm (2.99~7.98) | 0.20±1.12 mm (0.384) | 0.68±0.73 mm (<0.001) |
4 hr | 6.06±0.99 mm (3.79~8.10) | 0.12±0.70 mm (0.392) | 0.61±0.85 mm (0.002) | |
before | 6.72±0.95 mm (4.33~8.13) | -0.06±0.64 mm (0.672) | ||
Washout day 7 | 1 hr | 5.93±1.28 mm (2.72~7.97) | 0.79±0.79 mm (<0.001) | 0.74±0.78 mm (<0.001) |
4 hr | 6.00±1.06 mm (3.68~8.13) | 0.71±0.67 mm (<0.001) | 0.66±0.71 mm (<0.001) |
Table 2.
The proportion of significant anti-mydriasis and mydriasis
Measure time |
Right eye |
Left eye |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Significant | Significant | Significant | Significant | ||
anti-mydriasis* | mydriasis† | anti-mydriasis* | mydriasis† | ||
start day | 1 hr | 64% (16) | 0% (0) | 20% (5) | 0% (0) |
4 hr | 84% (21) | 4% (1) | 12% (3) | 8% (2) | |
before | 36% (9 | 8% (2) | 12% (3)16% (4) | ||
administration day 7 | 1 hr | 76% (19 | 0% (0) | 40% (10 | 8% (2) |
4 hr | 76% (19 | 8% (2) | 28% (7) | 12% (3) | |
before | 36% (9) | 12% (3) | 24% (6) | 16% (4) | |
administration day 21 | 1 hr | 68% (17 | 8% (2) | 16% (4 | 0% (0) |
4 hr | 68% (17) | 12% (3) | 20% (5) | 12% (3) | |
before | 12% (3) | 24% (6) | 28% (7) | 12% (3) | |
washout day 7 | 1 hr | 52% (13) | 4% (1) | 24% (6 | 0% (0) |
4 hr | 52% (13) | 4% (1) | 24% (6 | 8% (2) |
Table 3.
Comparison of scotopic pupil diameter (PD) of the left eye in the order of time
Measure time | PD (range) | Δ PD* ( p-value) | Δ PD† ( p-value) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
before | 6.73±0.97 mm (3.96~8.16) | |||
Start day | 1 hr | 6.51±1.10 mm (3.46~8.61) | 0.22±0.41 mm (0.014) | 0.22±0.41 mm (0.014) |
4 hr | 6.61±0.86 mm (3.58~8.10) | 0.12±0.44 mm (0.173) | 0.12±0.44 mm (0.173) | |
before | 6.80±0.67 mm (5.23~7.95) | -0.07±0.55 mm (0.546) | ||
Administration day 7 | 1 hr | 6.39±0.91 mm (4.31~7.83) | 0.41±0.54 mm (0.001) | 0.34±0.49 mm (0.002) |
4 hr | 6.59±0.77 mm (4.08~7.88) | 0.21±0.47 mm (0.034) | 0.15±0.75 mm (0.343) | |
before | 6.61±0.92 mm (3.60~8.28) | 0.13±0.64 mm (0.340) | ||
Administration day 21 | 1 hr | 6.49±1.07 mm (3.61~8.26) | 0.11±0.76 mm (0.464) | 0.24±0.40 mm (0.007) |
4 hr | 6.67±0.70 mm (4.45~7.94) | -0.06±0.56 mm (0.589) | 0.06±0.79 mm (0.691) | |
before | 6.66±0.78 mm (4.99~8.16) | 0.07±0.65 mm (0.590) | ||
Washout day 7 | 1 hr | 6.47±1.16 mm (3.28~8.10) | 0.19±0.65 mm (0.155) | 0.26±0.53 mm (0.021) |
4 hr | 6.56±0.83 mm (4.15~7.89) | 0.10±0.44 mm (0.258) | 0.17±0.74 mm (0.259) |
Table 4.
Comparison with other articles about brimonidine effect on pupil size
Author | Pupil | Check | Baseline | Age | Measure | Brown |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
change | time | pupil (mm) | (mean age, years) | equipment | iris ratio | |
McDonald (2001)* | -1.78 mm | 4 hr | 5.8±0.7 | 34.6 | Colvard | n-c |
Brown (2004) | -1.63 mm | 4-6 hr | n-c | 31.0 | Digital cam | n-c |
Kesler (2004)* | -1.65 mm | 4 hr | 6.22±0.73 | 30.2 | Colvard | 55.6% |
Thordsen (2004) | -1.50 mm | 4 hr | 7.0±0.2 | 29.0 | Colvard | n-c |
Marx-Gross (2005) | -2.24 mm | 3 hr | 6.74 | n-c | Procyon | n-c |
Current study | -0.95 mm† | 4 hr | 6.66±0.92 | 24.8 | Digital cam | 100% |