Direct and consensual murine pupillary reflex metrics: establishing normative values.

Abstract

Pupillometry is a non-invasive technique, based on well-established neurophysiologic principles, that can be utilized to objectively characterize pathophysiologic demyelinating and neurodegenerative changes involving the pupillary reflex pathway. In animal models of human disorders, pupillometry derived reflex metrics could potentially be used to longitudinally monitor disease activity and responses to pharmacotherapies. These investigations would have important implications for translational initiatives focused on the identification and application of novel neuroprotective and restorative treatments for human diseases such as multiple sclerosis. Here, we have established normal reference values for various pupillary reflex metrics across different mouse strains. Ultimately, we anticipate that this new data will help to catalyze unique lines of inquiry using pupillometry methods.