`Blood Flow in Patients With Ocular
`Hypertension
`
`ANTHONY M. CARLSSON, BSC, BALWANTRAY C. CHAUHAN, PHD, A. ARLENE LEE, RN,
`AND RAYMOND P. LEBLANC, MD
`
`c PURPOSE: To study the effects of topical brimonidine
`tartrate 0.2%, an a2-agonist ocular hypotensive drug, on
`retinal capillary blood flow in patients with ocular hyper-
`tension.
`c METHODS: The study was a double-masked, random-
`ized, placebo-controlled trial set in a tertiary eye center.
`Ocular hypertensive patients with repeatable intraocular
`pressures greater than 21 mm Hg and normal visual fields
`and optic disks were consecutively recruited. After an
`eye examination, baseline retinal blood flow measure-
`ments were made with confocal scanning laser Doppler
`flowmetry in one study eye. Patients were then randomly
`assigned to receive either brimonidine or placebo (saline)
`twice daily for 8 weeks. Blood flow and intraocular
`pressure measurements were then repeated after 4 and 8
`weeks.
`c RESULTS: Seventeen patients were randomly assigned
`to receive brimonidine, and 14 received placebo. One
`patient in each group failed to complete the study. The
`mean group differences in baseline age and intraocular
`pressure were not
`statistically significant
`(59.23
`[610.24] and 52.23 [616.46] years, respectively, and
`24.84 [62.08] and 24.56 [62.85] mm Hg, respectively).
`Brimonidine reduced intraocular pressure by 17.90%
`and 16.17% at 4 and 8 weeks, respectively, with a
`significant difference in treatment effect compared with
`the placebo group (P < .007). The group difference in
`treatment effect in any of the three hemodynamic param-
`eters velocity, volume, and flow was within 8% and not
`
`Accepted for publication June 9, 1999.
`From the Faculty of Medicine (Mr Carlsson), Departments of Oph-
`thalmology (Drs Chauhan, Lee, and LeBlanc) and Physiology and
`Biophysics (Dr Chauhan), Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia,
`Canada.
`This study was supported by the MacKeen Studentship from the
`Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
`(Mr Carlsson), and by a grant from Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Irvine,
`California (Dr Chauhan).
`Reprint requests to Balwantray C. Chauhan, PhD, Department of
`Ophthalmology, Dalhousie University, 2nd Floor Centennial Building,
`1278 Tower Rd, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3H 2Y9; fax: (902)
`473-2839; e-mail: bal@is.dal.ca
`
`significantly different at 4 or 8 weeks (P > .360). Based
`on a type I error of 0.05, our study had a power greater
`than or equal to 75% to detect group differences in
`treatment effect of greater than or equal to 15% to 20%.
`c CONCLUSIONS: Brimonidine reduces intraocular pres-
`sure without altering retinal capillary blood flow in
`patients with ocular hypertension.
`(Am J Ophthalmol
`2000;129:297–301. © 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All
`rights reserved.)
`
`B RIMONIDINE TARTRATE IS AN a2-AGONIST OCULAR
`
`hypotensive drug that exerts its effect by causing
`both a decrease in aqueous production and an
`increase in uveoscleral outflow.1 It is relatively new and
`has been proven to reduce increased intraocular pressures
`in glaucoma and ocular hypertension.2,3 As an a2- agonist,
`brimonidine belongs to the same class of drugs as clonidine
`and apraclonidine4; however, its molecular structure is
`sufficiently different to make it more selective for the
`a2-receptor than either clonidine or apraclonidine. Unlike
`clonidine, brimonidine does not appear to have an effect
`on the central nervous system and therefore does not cause
`sedation or systemic hypotension.5 Unlike apraclonidine,
`brimonidine causes less ocular irritation and allergy, prob-
`ably because it has a lower oxidation potential than
`apraclonidine.6,7 Brimonidine has few reported side effects,
`the most common being dry mouth.2,3,7 Studies have also
`shown that brimonidine is free of any cardiopulmonary
`side effects that are associated with the b-blocking ocular
`hypotensive agents.8,9
`Because brimonidine is an adrenergic agent, we wanted
`to determine whether topical application produced any
`significant effect on retinal microvascular blood flow.
`
`PATIENTS AND METHODS
`
`THIS STUDY WAS A SINGLE-CENTERED, DOUBLE-MASKED,
`randomized, placebo-controlled trial that determined the
`effect of brimonidine tartrate 0.2% on retinal capillary
`
`0002-9394/00/$20.00
`PII S0002-9394(00)00389-5
`
`© 2000 BY ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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`blood flow in ocular hypertensive patients. Patients with
`increased intraocular pressure but normal visual fields and
`optic disks were recruited consecutively from the Eye Care
`Centre of the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre,
`a tertiary care referral center. Informed consent was ob-
`tained from all patients. The study was approved by the
`Research Ethics Committee of the Queen Elizabeth II
`Health Sciences Centre.
`Patients were included in the study if they had all of the
`following: best-corrected visual acuity of 20/30 or better;
`normal visual fields in both eyes with a mean deviation
`index of better than 22.00 dB and a normal Glaucoma
`Hemifield Test10 using the STATPAC program for the
`Humphrey Field Analyzer (Humphrey Instruments, San
`Leandro, California); clinically normal funduscopic exam-
`ination,
`including a normal-appearing optic disk; and
`documented intraocular pressure greater than 21 mm Hg
`on three separate occasions without treatment.
`Patients were excluded if they had any of the following:
`diabetes; any disease known to affect blood flow,
`for
`example, polycythemia, temporal arteritis, and systemic
`vascular disease; use of oral calcium channel blockers, b-
`blockers, a-agonists, or angiotensin-converting enzyme
`inhibitors; refractive error greater than 6 diopters (spher-
`ical equivalent) or astigmatism greater than 2 diopters;
`aphakia or pseudophakia; and untreated intraocular pres-
`sure greater than 30 mm Hg.
`Retinal blood flow was measured noninvasively using
`confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmetry,11 a modifica-
`tion of the laser Doppler flowmetry technique described by
`Riva and associates.12 The technique relies on measuring
`time-related intensity variations of backscattered light
`from an illuminated spot on the fundus. These intensity
`variations are the result of interference between backscat-
`tered light from stationary structures, such as tissue and
`vessel walls, and from moving blood particles. The inten-
`sity variation measurements are subjected to a fast Fourier
`transform to obtain the power spectrum of the multiple
`frequency shift components. Thereafter, three hemody-
`namic variables, velocity, volume, and flow, are computed
`from the power spectrum in arbitrary units.13 Confocal
`scanning laser Doppler flowmetry was carried out using the
`Heidelberg Retina Flowmeter (Heidelberg Engineering
`GmbH, Heidelberg, Germany). The instrument and its
`operation have been detailed elsewhere.14 Briefly, a diode
`laser (wavelength, 780 nm) is used to scan an area of 10.0
`degrees by 2.5 degrees after it has been focused at the
`desired axial plane (for example, the retina). The image
`resolution is 256 by 64 picture elements (pixels). Each of
`the 64 horizontal lines is scanned 128 times, with a line
`repetition rate of 4 kHz over 2.05 seconds. The 128
`intensity measurements at each location are made by a
`photodiode behind a confocal pinhole. The result of each
`processed scan is a two-dimensional perfusion map of the
`imaged area (Figure 1). The measurements derived with
`this technique have been shown to have good reproduc-
`
`FIGURE 1. Confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmetry images
`obtained from a single scan of the temporal peripapillary retina
`of a subject in the study. (Top) Reflectivity image, akin to a
`funduscopic image and perfusion maps showing the (second)
`velocity, which is proportional to the mean Doppler shift;
`(third) volume, which is proportional to the concentration of
`particles moving through the sampling volume of tissue; and
`(bottom) flow, which is proportional to the blood flow through
`the sampling volume. The brightness of the pixels is scaled
`according to the respective hemodynamic values.
`
`ibility14 –16 and to have a linear relationship to actual flow
`rates in an experimental model system.17
`Patients who were receiving treatment for ocular hyper-
`tension underwent a 4-week washout period before enroll-
`ment. For safety purposes these patients had a full eye
`examination including intraocular pressure measurement
`halfway through the washout. At the baseline visit before
`randomization, patients underwent a full ophthalmic ex-
`amination including visual acuity measurement, slit-lamp
`evaluation of the anterior segment, intraocular pressure
`measurement, and funduscopic examination of the retina
`and optic disk. Automated central visual fields were then
`recorded in both eyes with the 24-2 program of the
`Humphrey Field Analyzer to ensure eligibility. All patients
`were previously exposed to automated perimetry on several
`occasions. If both eyes were eligible for the study, one eye
`was randomly selected as the study eye. Confocal scanning
`laser Doppler flowmetry was then carried out in the study
`eye. Five good-quality images of the temporal retina, with
`a portion of the optic disk, were recorded. Patients were
`then randomly assigned to receive either brimonidine
`tartrate 0.2% (Alphagan; Allergan Pharmaceuticals, Ir-
`vine, California) or saline twice daily in the study eye. The
`
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`eye examination, tonometry, and flowmetry (with images
`recorded in the same retinal location as baseline) were
`repeated 4 and 8 weeks after baseline. The follow-up visits
`were scheduled at approximately the same time of day
`(within 1 hour) as baseline.
`After the final visit we analyzed the flowmetry data in
`each scan by averaging the hemodynamic values in each of
`five 100 3 100-mm areas (each containing 100 individual
`measurements) in the temporal peripapillary retina. We
`ensured that measurements were made only in capillary
`beds and that for a given patient they were made in the
`same locations by using landmarks on the fundus reflec-
`tivity image (and not the perfusion maps), which is also
`provided in the analysis. We determined the session mean
`for each of the five 100 mm by 100mm areas and after
`applying a log-transform determined the change in the
`hemodynamic parameters at
`the 4-week and 8-week
`points. After breaking the treatment code, we compared
`the treatment effect between the brimonidine and placebo
`group at the 4-week and 8-week points using a group t test.
`Intraocular pressure and age data were also compared using
`a group t test. We used group difference in treatment effect
`as the test statistic because it allowed control within
`subjects (treatment effect) and a direct comparison be-
`tween the brimonidine and placebo groups (group t test).
`
`RESULTS
`
`THE STUDY HAD 14 PATIENTS IN THE BRIMONIDINE GROUP
`and 17 patients in the placebo group. One patient,
`randomly assigned to receive placebo, was withdrawn after
`4 weeks, when her intraocular pressure exceeded 30 mm
`Hg. Another patient, randomly assigned to receive bri-
`monidine, withdrew voluntarily in the sixth week of the
`study after developing dizziness and headaches. Thus, 13
`patients in the brimonidine group and 16 patients in the
`placebo group completed the study.
`The mean age (61 SD) in the brimonidine and
`placebo groups was 59.23 (610.24) and 52.23 (616.46)
`years, respectively. The respective figures for baseline
`intraocular pressure were 24.84 (62.08) and 24.56
`(62.85) mm Hg. The group difference in neither
`baseline age nor intraocular pressure was statistically
`significantly different (P . .200).
`The intraocular pressure treatment effect between the
`brimonidine and placebo groups was significantly different
`at both the 4-week and 8-week points (P , .007, Figure 2),
`with the pressure reduction in the brimonidine group being
`17.90% and 16.17%, respectively. The difference in treat-
`ment effect between the brimonidine and placebo
`groups was within 8% for each of the three blood-flow
`parameters analyzed at either the 4-week or 8-week
`points (Figure 3). These differences were not signifi-
`cantly different (P . .360). There was also no relationship
`between the change in intraocular pressure and change in
`
`FIGURE 2. Change in intraocular pressure at the 4-week and
`8-week points from baseline in the brimonidine and placebo
`groups (error bar 5 61 SE).
`
`blood flow in either the brimonidine or placebo group at
`the 4-week (P . .790) or 8-week (P . .590) points.
`Based on the study sample size, we determined the
`statistical power to detect differences in treatment effect
`between the brimonidine and placebo groups. These cal-
`culations were done for 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and
`30% group differences in treatment effect (Figure 4) and
`show that our study was adequately powered (greater than
`or equal to 75%, with type I error [a] 5 0.05) to detect
`group differences of greater than or equal to 15% for the
`volume parameter and greater than or equal to 20% for the
`velocity and flow parameters.
`
`DISCUSSION
`
`PREVIOUS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT a2-ADRENORECEP-
`tors play an important role in microvascular autoregula-
`tion, particularly at the level of the terminal arteriole in
`vascular smooth muscle.18 –20 It is known that the retinal
`and optic nerve head microvascular network is under
`sensitive autoregulatory control,21,22 and that a2 binding
`sites are present in the retinal vasculature.23 Spada and
`associates24 studied the effect of various concentrations of
`brimonidine tartrate, an a2-agonist, on human retinal
`arteriolar diameter in retinal tissue that had been trans-
`planted into hamster cheek pouch membrane. They
`showed that brimonidine concentrations of up to 1025 M
`had no effect on vessel caliber. However, until very
`recently, no clinical studies had been published to deter-
`mine whether topical brimonidine had any effect on ocular
`blood flow.
`Lachkar and associates25 performed a double-masked
`randomized placebo-controlled crossover study that exam-
`ined the effect of brimonidine tartrate 0.2% on retrobulbar
`blood flow in patients with ocular hypertension. Using
`color Doppler ultrasound, they found no significant effect
`of brimonidine on the blood velocities in the central
`retinal, ophthalmic, nasal, and temporal ciliary arteries.
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`FIGURE 3. Change in the hemodynamic parameters, velocity, volume, and flow at the 4-week and 8-week points from baseline in
`the brimonidine and placebo groups (error bar 5 61 SE).
`
`than that reported by studies that included patients with
`glaucoma and patients with ocular hypertension.2,3,26 It is
`possible that the composition of the study population may
`yield different magnitudes of pressure reduction with bri-
`monidine.
`Because no difference in the treatment effect in retinal
`blood flow measurements between the brimonidine and
`placebo groups was found, we wanted to ensure that our
`study was adequately powered to determine a clinically
`significant difference had it existed. Given the variability
`characteristics of the hemodynamic measurements, we
`found that we would have detected a group difference in
`treatment effect of 15% to 20% 75 of 100 times had it
`existed and a difference of 17% to 23% 80 of 100 times had
`it existed (Figure 4). Scanning laser Doppler flowmetry has
`been used successfully to measure a statistically significant
`increase in retinal blood flow after subjects inhaled carbo-
`gen27 and reduction after they inhaled 100% oxygen.28
`Similar experiments have also been carried out in experi-
`mental animals.29 These data provide a positive control
`and suggest that confocal scanning laser Doppler flowmetry
`is capable of measuring changes in blood when they exist.
`Using a variety of techniques, investigators have shown
`that test–retest variability of blood flow measurements,
`estimated by the coefficient of variation, ranges from
`approximately 10% to 30%, even within single ses-
`sions.15,16,30 –32 Our earlier work suggests that with confocal
`scanning laser Doppler flowmetry, the largest component
`of measurement variability is physiologic variation in
`blood flow from one point in time to another.17 Given
`these findings, it is arguable whether detecting differences
`in treatment effect of less than 15% has much clinical
`significance, because any beneficial or detrimental drug
`effects on blood flow should clearly exceed the measured
`variability. Ideally, any functional consequences of altered
`blood flow, such as change in the visual field or optic disk,
`should ultimately be the variables of interest.
`The etiology of glaucoma is likely to be multifactorial,
`
`FIGURE 4. Power of the present study (based on a total sample
`size of 30 patients) to detect differences between the bri-
`monidine and placebo groups of 5% to 30% in treatment effect
`for the three hemodynamic parameters velocity, volume, and
`flow. Calculations are based on a type I error (a) of 0.05 and
`indicate that power greater than or equal to 75% to detect
`group differences of greater than or equal to 15% for the
`volume parameter and greater than or equal to 20% for the
`velocity and flow parameters.
`
`Despite the same general conclusions, their study differed
`with ours in that they measured blood velocity in the large
`vessels that supply the whole eye; in our study measure-
`ments were taken exclusively from retinal capillary beds.
`Studies have shown that a2-adrenoreceptors are distrib-
`uted differently across arteriolar, precapillary sphincter,
`and venular segments of various tissue microvascular
`beds.18,20 The fact that our results are similar to those of
`Lachkar and associates suggests that brimonidine has no
`apparent effect on either large-caliber or small-caliber
`vessels supplying the retina.
`Our study showed that brimonidine significantly re-
`duced intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hyper-
`tension. The magnitude of pressure reduction was similar
`to that reported by Lachkar and associates,25 whose sub-
`jects all had ocular hypertension; however, it was lower
`
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`with studies pointing to a possible role for impaired blood
`flow as one of the potentiating mechanisms of optic nerve
`damage.33 In view of the fact that a common initial line of
`treatment for glaucoma is intraocular pressure reduction
`with topical adrenergic drugs, it is important to determine
`whether these drugs have deleterious effects on blood flow.
`Our study suggests that topical brimonidine reduces in-
`traocular pressure without altering retinal blood flow.
`
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