Effects of tobacco smoking on the human pupil
Lie, T.C.; Domino, E.F.
International Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 37(4): 184-188
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0946-1965 PMID: 10235421 Document Number: 501021
Objective: Determine the effects of tobacco cigarette or sham placebo-smoking on pupil diameter. Subjects: Ten non-smokers and 10 tobacco smokers (all healthy, drug free adults) were studied while resting in a comfortable lounger. Methods: Tobacco smokers abstained from smoking and all subjects abstained from caffeine-containing products for at least 8 h prior to testing. The smokers each smoked one tobacco cigarette, and the non-smokers each inhaled air through an unlit sham cigarette. Right pupil diameter, heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured before and after sham-or tobacco-smoking in each subject. Pupil size was measured from a colored photograph taken with a Polaroid camera equipped with a high-speed flash with the subject in a standardized, dimly lit quiet room. Results: There was no significant difference in baseline pupil diameter between non-smokers and smokers prior to sham-or tobacco-smoking. After sham-or tobacco-smoking, both non-smokers and smokers showed slight but statistically significant pupillary constriction. Conclusions: Shortly after smoking one tobacco cigarette, pupillary constriction was greater than after sham-smoking.