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Spontaneous blinking in healthy persons: an optoelectronic study of eyelid motion
Author(s) -
Sforza Chiarella,
Rango Mario,
Galante Domenico,
Bresolin Nereo,
Ferrario Virgilio F.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
ophthalmic and physiological optics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.147
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1475-1313
pISSN - 0275-5408
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2008.00577.x
Subject(s) - eyelid , excursion , medicine , displacement (psychology) , audiology , ophthalmology , psychology , political science , law , psychotherapist
Purpose: To develop a method for the non‐invasive detection and quantification of eyelid movements during spontaneous blinking. Methods: Spontaneous eyelid movements were monitored using an optoelectronic motion analyzer with passive markers in a younger group aged 20–30 years (13 men, 12 women) and in an older group over 50 years (10 men and nine women). Blink rate, eyelid displacement as a percentage of maximum excursion, and maximum eyelid velocity in closing and opening were calculated. Results: Spontaneous blink rate was significantly larger in women than in men (19 vs 11 blinks per minute); older women blinked more frequently than younger women. On average, young men closed the eyes completely (or almost completely) 44% of times, whereas the eyelid closure of young and older women was more frequently between 51 and 75% of the maximum excursion. Older men rarely closed completely and showed a similar frequency of blinks with up to 25%, 50% and 75% of maximum excursion. During eyelid closure and opening, the maximum velocity reduced with age: older subjects moved their eyelids approximately 80–70% slower than younger subjects. In all subjects, closing was performed 40–47% faster than opening; women moved faster than men. Eyelid displacement was greater in young than in older subjects. Conclusions: The method used in this study allowed the non‐invasive detection of eyelid movements during spontaneous blinking, providing a set of descriptive and kinematic data. The method could also be used to assess blink characteristics in patients with movement disorders, without invasive or time‐consuming procedures.