Abstract
PurposeThis study aimed to examine the incidence of the oculocardiac reflex during a non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement when gradual external pressure was applied to the orbital tissues and eye.MethodsPatients (n = 101) and healthy volunteers (n = 56) aged 20–75 years who underwent a non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement were included in this retrospective oculocardiac reflex analysis. Prespecified thresholds greater than a 10% or 20% decrease in the heart rate from baseline were used to determine the incidence of the oculocardiac reflex.ResultsNone of the subjects had a greater than 20% decrease in heart rate from baseline. Four subjects had a greater than 10% decrease in heart rate from baseline, representing 0.9% of the total pressure steps. Three of these subjects were healthy volunteers, and one was a glaucoma patient.ConclusionThe incidence of the oculocardiac reflex during a non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement procedure was very low and not associated with any clinically relevant effects.
Highlights
The oculocardiac reflex (OCR), known as the Aschner reflex, is a cardiac phenomenon that is triggered by physical stimulation of the eye [1]
The criteria for the evoked OCR is a threshold of decrease in the mean heart rate (MHR) relative to the baseline heart rate (BHR) recorded before physical stimulation of the eye
In this retrospective study that included healthy individuals and patients with various conditions, a gradual external pressure applied to the ocular globe during the non-invasive intracranial pressure (ICP) measurement did not result in an OCR when using the 20% decrease in the HR criterion and rarely when using the 10% decreased HR criterion
Summary
The oculocardiac reflex (OCR), known as the Aschner reflex, is a cardiac phenomenon that is triggered by physical stimulation of the eye [1]. This phenomenon was first described in 1908 independently by Aschner and Dagnini. The criteria for the evoked OCR is a threshold of decrease in the mean heart rate (MHR) relative to the baseline heart rate (BHR) recorded before physical stimulation of the eye. Various studies have defined thresholds for the evoked OCR [7]. Yu & Wang (1991) defined the threshold for the evoked OCR as a decrease of 10 beats per minute compared with baseline [13]
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