Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by PONSFORD, J. R.
Right arrow Articles by PAUL, E. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by PONSFORD, J. R.
Right arrow Articles by PAUL, E. A.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Brain, Vol. 105, No. 3, 583-597, 1982
© 1982 Guarantors of Brain

research-article

METHACHOLINE PUPILLARY RESPONSES IN THIRD NERVE PALSY AND ADIE'S SYNDROME

J. R. PONSFORD, R. BANNISTER and E. A. PAUL

From The National Hospital, Queen Square, WCI and St. Mary's Hospital Praed Street, London W2

In order to examine the clinical usefulness of methacholine in assessing the site of ocular parasympathetic lesions, pupillary responses in man were measured in postganglionic (Adie's syndrome) and preganglionic third nerve lesions involving the pupil and in controls. From previous work with methacholine it might have been expected that greater constriction would occur in the postganglionic lesions but similar responses were found in both. Corneal hypoxia due to ptosis appeared unlikely to affect corneal permeability significantly and it is probable that these results reflect an increased responsiveness of the iris at, or distal to, the site of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors.

Pupils contralateral to third nerve palsy, when tested on a separate occasion, also constricted by an amount approximately proportional to that of the clinically abnormal pupil. The possibilities that this may result in some way from reduction in total retinal illumination, or from retrograde changes in preganglionic pupilloconstrictor neurons affecting contralateral pupilloconstrictor neurons via central pathways, are discussed.

It is concluded that supersensitivity to methacholine, tested carefully in the manner described, is a useful guide to the presence of parasympathetic or decenrvation or decentralization, but that it is not reliable in distinguishing between the two sites.

Received February 8, 1982. Revised April 6, 1982.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.