Title
Pupillary light reflexes are associated with autonomic dysfunction in Bolivian diabetics but not chagas disease patients
Date Issued
01 June 2016
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Publisher(s)
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Abstract
Autonomic dysfunction is common in Chagas disease and diabetes. Patients with either condition complicated by cardiac autonomic dysfunction face increased mortality, but no clinical predictors of autonomic dysfunction exist. Pupillary light reflexes (PLRs) may identify such patients early, allowing for intensified treatment. To evaluate the significance of PLRs, adults were recruited from the outpatient endocrine, cardiology, and surgical clinics at a Bolivian teaching hospital. After testing for Chagas disease and diabetes, participants completed conventional autonomic testing (CAT) evaluating their cardiovascular responses to Valsalva, deep breathing, and orthostatic changes. PLRs were measured using specially designed goggles, then CAT and PLRs were compared as measures of autonomic dysfunction. This study analyzed 163 adults, including 96 with Chagas disease, 35 patients with diabetes, and 32 controls. PLRs were not significantly different between Chagas disease patients and controls. Patients with diabetes had longer latency to onset of pupil constriction, slower maximum constriction velocities, and smaller orthostatic ratios than nonpatients with diabetes. PLRs correlated poorly with CAT results. A PLR-based clinical risk score demonstrated a 2.27-fold increased likelihood of diabetes complicated by autonomic dysfunction compared with the combination of blood tests, CAT, and PLRs (sensitivity 87.9%, specificity 61.3%). PLRs represent a promising tool for evaluating subclinical neuropathy in patients with diabetes without symptomatic autonomic dysfunction. Pupillometry does not have a role in the evaluation of Chagas disease patients.
Start page
1290
End page
1298
Volume
94
Issue
6
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Neurología clínica
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-84971516519
PubMed ID
Source
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
ISSN of the container
00029637
Sponsor(s)
This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Clinical Scholars Program. Additional funding for pupillometer development and salary support for Drs. Moore and Morris was provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration grant NNX12AM25G.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus