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

PLoS One. 2018 Apr 19;13(4):e0196155. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0196155. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Purpose: 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.

Methods: 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.

Results: 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.

Conclusion: 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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Data Interpretation, Statistical
  • Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures* / instrumentation
  • Female
  • Heart Rate
  • Humans
  • Intracranial Pressure*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Models, Statistical*
  • Reflex, Oculocardiac*
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

Professor Arminas Ragauskas is an inventor of patented the non-invasive ICP measurement method and a shareholder of Vittamed Neuroscience (Waltham, MA, USA). AR, LB, MD and RZ have received financial support from Vittamed Neuroscience (Waltham, MA, USA). AR, RZ, VM, DR and KP have received financial support from European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme project ‘BrainSafe’ (grant no. 232545). LB, AR, JF, JK, ER, VM and RZ have received financial support from Lithuanian-Swiss Programe project ‘BrainCare’ (grant no. CH-3SMM-01/06). LB, LS and IJ have received financial support from European Social Fund under the Global Grant measure (grant no. VP1-3.1-SMM-07-K-03-080). EB has received financial support from National Space Biomedical Research Institute via NASA NCC9-58, and Center for Space Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine. No funding bodies had any role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.