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The Pupils and Accommodation

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Albert and Jakobiec's Principles and Practice of Ophthalmology

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Abstract

This chapter provides a framework for understanding the afferent input from the retina which gives rise to the pupil light reflex, its integration within the midbrain, and its output which controls pupil size to each eye. The key features of the near reflex, which involves the coordination within the midbrain of accommodation, convergence, and pupillary constriction, are also provided. These reflexes are useful in clinical practice for assessing afferent input in retinal and optic nerve disorders and also in determining the cause of unequal pupils in patients with both benign and life-threatening disorders.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Iowa and Iowa City VA, Neuro-ophthalmology, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Randy Kardon

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  1. Randy Kardon
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Correspondence to Randy Kardon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health & Science University Department of Ophthalmology, Portland, OR, USA

    Daniel Albert

  2. Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA

    Joan Miller

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Ophthalmology, Chicago, IL, USA

    Dimitri Azar

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Lucy H. Young

Section Editor information

  1. McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    Leonard Levin

  2. Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, USA

    Dean Cestari

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© 2021 This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply

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Kardon, R. (2021). The Pupils and Accommodation. In: Albert, D., Miller, J., Azar, D., Young, L.H. (eds) Albert and Jakobiec's Principles and Practice of Ophthalmology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90495-5_52-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90495-5_52-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-90495-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-90495-5

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