Purpose
This study assessed the autonomic nervous system in patients with central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) by simultaneously measuring pupillary responses and heart rate variability (HRV).
Methods
We recruited 33 patients with CSC and 26 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Using a pupillometry and acceleration plethysmography system, we measured the participants’ pupillary light reflex and HRV simultaneously, and compared the following parameters between the two groups: the pupil diameters, diameter changes, and time and frequency domain HRV indices (high frequency power: HF; low frequency power: LF; log LF/HF ratio). Additional data from the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and pupillary responses during mental tasks were also analyzed.
Results
The CSC group had a significantly lower constriction amplitude and a higher re-dilation ratio compared with the control group, indicating parasympathetic inhibition and sympathetic activation. For the HRV measures, the CSC group demonstrated significantly lower HF and higher LF and log LF/HF ratio, indicative of higher sympathetic activity. The CSC group also showed significantly larger pupil dilation during tasks of moderate difficulty, and higher negative/lower positive POMS mood scores. Further analyses also revealed that the baseline pupil diameter was significantly larger in patients with active as opposed to chronic CSC.
Conclusions
Pupillary responses and HRV measures both revealed sympathetic activation and parasympathetic attenuation in patients with CSC. Larger pupil dilation during mental tasks in CSC could be a potential marker of psychophysiological stress.
A 49-year-old man who had undergone repair of tetralogy of Fallot underwent replacement of a thrombosed St. Jude Medical prosthesis in pulmonary position after intravenous thrombolytic therapy. Dysfunction of the prosthetic valve was detected clinically by change of heart sound and the appearance of a new diastolic murmur. Cinefluoroscopy confirmed fixation of both leaflets. Although thrombolytic therapy using urokinase was successful twice, the prosthesis was replaced with a Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis due to recurrent prosthetic dysfunction.
To report the characteristics and outcomes of extraocular muscle (EOM) surgery for diplopia and abnormal head posture (AHP) after treatment of severe brain diseases such as brain tumor, severe cerebral bleeding and cerebral infarction. Patients and Methods: Sixty-four patients (mean age 53.7 ± 16.0 years) who underwent EOM surgery to eliminate diplopia or AHP after treatment for brain disease at Hyogo College of Medicine Hospital from March 2006 through February 2018 were included. We divided the patients into two groups: a severe cerebrovascular disorder (SCVD) group and a brain tumor (BT) group. Backgrounds, surgical outcomes and satisfaction with treatment outcomes were examined retrospectively and compared between the two groups. The NEI-VFQ 25, Japanese version, was used to quantify postoperative satisfaction. Results: There were 26 patients in the SCVD group and 38 patients in the BT group. The average age for the BT group was significantly younger than that for the SCVD group (P = 0.0236). The period from the onset of diplopia to EOM surgery was approximately 4 years for both groups. Abducens palsy was the most frequent disturbance (27% in the SCVD group and 52.6% in the BT group), and the numbers of operations were similar between the 2 groups (1.3 ± 0.7 and 1.3 ± 0.5 operations, respectively). In total, diplopia was eliminated in 82.8% of cases and AHP improved in 81.6% of cases. The BT group scored significantly higher than the SCVD group on 8 out of the 11 items on the VFQ 25. Conclusion: EOM surgery was effective in eliminating diplopia and AHP. Therefore, we recommend that these patients visit an ophthalmologist as soon as possible and undergo EOM surgery.
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