Pupil-light reflex in early-stage Parkinson's disease

We examined pupil-light reflex in 25 drug-naïve patients with newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease and compared them to 29 healthy controls. We also evaluated effects of symptomatic treatment and correlations with clinical scores. Besides a smaller pupil diameter at maximum constriction, no pupil parameter robustly distinguished patients from controls. Following initiation of symptomatic therapy, baseline pupil diameter and constriction amplitude increased, whereas peak constriction velocity remained unchanged and correlated with patient-reported autonomic symptoms. These findings suggest peak constriction velocity may reflect autonomic dysfunction less influenced by medication. Further studies should clarify the pupil-light reflex's clinical utility in Parkinson's disease.