PLoS ONE (Jan 2018)

Graphical and statistical analyses of the oculocardiac reflex during a non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement.

  • Yasin Hamarat,
  • Laimonas Bartusis,
  • Mantas Deimantavicius,
  • Lina Siaudvytyte,
  • Ingrida Januleviciene,
  • Arminas Ragauskas,
  • Eric M Bershad,
  • Javier Fandino,
  • Jenny Kienzler,
  • Elke Remonda,
  • Vaidas Matijosaitis,
  • Daiva Rastenyte,
  • Kestutis Petrikonis,
  • Kristina Berskiene,
  • Rolandas Zakelis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0196155
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 4
p. e0196155

Abstract

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This 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.Patients (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.None 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.The incidence of the oculocardiac reflex during a non-invasive intracranial pressure measurement procedure was very low and not associated with any clinically relevant effects.