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Pupillary Light Reflex

The pupillary light reflex is a reflex that controls the diameter of the pupil in response to light intensity. Brighter light causes the pupil to constrict to allow less light in, while dimmer light causes the pupil to dilate to allow more light in, regulating the eye's light exposure. The optic nerve carries sensory information from the retina to the oculomotor nerve, which controls the iris muscles around the pupil. Testing the pupillary light reflex provides a diagnostic tool, as the pupils should respond identically to light in both eyes. An abnormal reflex can indicate damage to the optic nerve, oculomotor nerve, or brain stem function.

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863 views2 pages

Pupillary Light Reflex

The pupillary light reflex is a reflex that controls the diameter of the pupil in response to light intensity. Brighter light causes the pupil to constrict to allow less light in, while dimmer light causes the pupil to dilate to allow more light in, regulating the eye's light exposure. The optic nerve carries sensory information from the retina to the oculomotor nerve, which controls the iris muscles around the pupil. Testing the pupillary light reflex provides a diagnostic tool, as the pupils should respond identically to light in both eyes. An abnormal reflex can indicate damage to the optic nerve, oculomotor nerve, or brain stem function.

Uploaded by

John Osborne
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Pupillary light reflex

The pupillary light reflex is a reflex that controls the


diameter of the pupil, in response to the intensity of light
that falls on the retina of the eye. Greater intensity light
causes the pupil to become smaller (pupillary
constriction), allowing less light in, whereas lower
intensity light causes the pupil to become larger
(pupillary dilation), allowing more light in. Thus, the
pupillary light reflex regulates the intensity of light
entering the eye.

Mechanism
The optic nerve carries the afferent, sensory information from the retina of the eye. The oculomotor
nerve carries the motor (efferent) response signal to the iris muscles, which contract around the pupil,
to constrict the pupil.
Clinical significance

In addition to controlling the amount of light that enters the eye, the pupillary light reflex provides a
useful diagnostic tool. It allows a physician or ophthalmologist to test the integrity of the sensory and
motor functions of the eye.

Under normal conditions, the pupils of both eyes respond identically to a light stimulus, regardless of
which eye is being stimulated. Light entering one eye produces a constriction of the pupil of that eye
as well as a constriction of the pupil of the unstimulated eye. Comparing these two responses in both
eyes is helpful in locating a lesion.

Emergency room physicians routinely assess the pupillary reflex because it is useful for gauging brain
stem function. Normally, pupils react (i.e. constrict) equally. Lack of the pupillary reflex or an
abnormal pupillary reflex can be caused by optic nerve damage, oculomotor nerve damage and
depressant drugs, such as barbiturates. Lack of the pupillary reflex can also be used to indicate brain
death.

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