Sensitive pupil response of early-onset alzheimer's patients to a dilute mixture of cholinergic antagonist and α-Adrenergic stimulant.

To investigate possible differences in pupil dilation and light reflex in Alzheimer's disease patients that can be attributed to the age of onset of the disease, a statistical comparison was made of pupil dilation and light reflex among early- and late-onset Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, and patients with vascular dementia, and normal controls. The subjects included 53 probable Alzheimer's disease outpatients, including both early-onset type (AD: n=21) and late-onset type (SD: n=32). They were compared with normal controls (n=15), Down syndrome patients (DS: n=6), and patients with vascular dementia (VD: n=9). All subjects and controls were dark-eyed Japanese. Pupil dilation and light reflex were tested in 21 AD and 32 SD patients, and were compared with those in the control subjects; 6 DS and 9 VD patients. The measured maximum increase in pupil diameter after instilling a mixture of anticholinergic and α -adrenergic stimulating drugs (Midrin-P®), in one eye was significantly greater in AD and DS than in the controls. However, there was no difference among SD, VD, and controls, suggesting a stronger pupil response to these drugs in AD than in SD. Pupil movement in response to light became significantly smaller and faster after instillation of the drugs in Alzheimer's disease patients. The above findings may be useful for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.