Medical hypothesis, discovery & innovation in optometry

Binocular vision parameters in chronic heavy alcoholics: Short-term outcomes of alcohol detoxification

Medical hypothesis, discovery & innovation in optometry, Vol. 2 No. 3 (2021), 14 March 2022 , Page 94-101
https://doi.org/10.51329/mehdioptometry131

Abstract

Background: Alcohol consumption is rising in developing countries such as India, and alcohol addiction has systemic and ocular impacts. This study aimed to investigate the binocular functions of chronic heavy alcoholics before and after alcohol detoxification.
Methods: A prospective before–after study was designed and conducted at Treda De-Addiction Centre, Bengaluru, India. Males in the age range of 30–40 years who had been alcohol addicts for more than six years and met the inclusion criteria were recruited. We performed a routine optometric examination followed by detailed binocular vision assessment, including accommodative, vergence, and oculomotor tests on the first day of rehabilitation and one month after initiation of rehabilitation.
Results: Twenty-five males with of the age (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) 36.24 ± 4.33 years were evaluated. The pre- and post-detoxification mean ± SD of the monocular (right eye: 5.98 ± 3.50, 6.60 ± 3.49; left eye: 6.18 ± 3.69, 7.10 ± 3.78) and binocular accommodative facility (7.10 ± 3.93, 7.40 ± 4.51) did not change significantly (all P > 0.05). Eighteen (72%) of the participants had non-strabismic binocular vision anomalies (NSBVA), among whom the accommodative infacility and convergence insufficiency were higher in frequency and remained constant after alcohol detoxification. Furthermore, the binocular vision parameters showed no statistically significant difference between the pre- and post-detoxification values (all P > 0.05).
Conclusions: The binocular vision parameters did not change significantly after one month of alcohol detoxification in the chronic heavy drinkers. Most long-term alcoholics had NSBVA with no change after rehabilitation, indicating that short-term alcohol detoxification may not aid in the recovery of binocular parameters. However, further validation is required. Assessing the impact of vision therapy in addition to a longer period of abstinence can confirm or refute the persistence of observed effects of chronic alcohol consumption on binocular functions and NSBVA in this population.
Keywords:
  • alcohol
  • heavy alcoholic
  • non-strabismus binocular vision anomalies
  • alcohol detoxification
  • binocular vision
  • accommodation
  • convergence

References

Croes SA, Baryshnikova LM, Kaluskar SS, von Bartheld CS. Acute and long-term effects of botulinum neurotoxin on the function and structure of developing extraocular muscles. Neurobiol Dis. 2007;25(3):649-64. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2006.11.007 pmid: 17222559

Crews FT, Buckley T, Dodd PR, Ende G, Foley N, Harper C, et al. Alcoholic neurobiology: changes in dependence and recovery. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2005;29(8):1504-13. doi: 10.1097/01.alc.0000175013.50644.61 pmid: 16156047

Harper C, Matsumoto I. Ethanol and brain damage. Curr Opin Pharmacol. 2005;5(1):73-8. doi: 10.1016/j.coph.2004.06.011 pmid: 15661629

Raju M, Chaudhury S, Sudarsanan S, Salujha SK, Srivastava K. Trends and Issues in Relation to Alcohol Dependence in The Armed Forces. Med J Armed Forces India. 2002;58(2):143-8. doi: 10.1016/S0377-1237(02)80049-1 pmid: 27407361

Eashwar VMA, Umadevi R, Gopalakrishnan S. Alcohol consumption in India- An epidemiological review. J Family Med Prim Care. 2020;9(1):49-55. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_873_19 pmid: 32110564

Karimi S, Arabi A, Shahraki T. Alcohol and the Eye. J Ophthalmic Vis Res. 2021;16(2):260-270. doi: 10.18502/jovr.v16i2.9089 pmid: 34055263

Wang S, Wang JJ, Wong TY. Alcohol and eye diseases. Surv Ophthalmol. 2008;53(5):512-25. doi: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2008.06.003 pmid: 18929762

Casares-López M, Castro-Torres JJ, Martino F, Ortiz-Peregrina S, Ortiz C, Anera RG. Contrast sensitivity and retinal straylight after alcohol consumption: effects on driving performance. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):13599. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-70645-3 pmid: 32788613

Casares-López M, Castro-Torres JJ, Ortiz-Peregrina S, Martino F, Ortiz C. Changes in Visual Performance under the Effects of Moderate-High Alcohol Consumption: The Influence of Biological Sex. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(13):6790. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18136790 pmid: 34202674

Munsamy AJ, Hamilton-Hoskins RS, Bero T, Ximba PP, Govender D, Soni M, et al. The effect of acute ingestion of alcohol at 0.05% and 0.10% blood respiratory alcohol concentration on heterophoria. African Vision and Eye Health. 2016;75(1):1-7. doi: 10.4102/aveh.v75i1.342

Casares-López M, Castro-Torres JJ, Ortiz-Peregrina S, Ortiz C, Anera RG. Changes in accommodation dynamics after alcohol consumption, for two different doses. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2021;259(4):919-928. doi: 10.1007/s00417-020-04978-0. pmid: 33064196

Jonaki Bose J, Hedden SL, Lipari RN, Park-Lee E, Porter JD, Pemberton MR (2016). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. ‘Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health’. Available at: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FFR1-2015/NSDUH-FFR1-2015/NSDUH-FFR1-2015.pdf (Accessed: November 03, 2021)

Alcohol Research: Current Reviews Editorial Staff (2018). ‘Drinking Patterns and Their Definitions’. Vol. 39, No. 1 Alcohol Research: Current Reviews. Available at: https://arcr.niaaa.nih.gov/binge-drinking-predictors-patterns-and-consequences/drinking-patterns-and-their-definitions (Accessed: November 03, 2021)

Majunder C, Toh CL. Non-strabismic binocular visión anomalies among students of a Malaysian private university uses visual display unit. Guoji Yanke Zazhi (Int Eye Sci). 2020;20(6):940-5. doi:10.3980/j.issn.1672?5123.2020.6.03

Paniccia SM, Ayala AR. Prevalence of accommodative and non-strabismic binocular anomalies in a Puerto Rican pediatric population. Optometry & Visual Performance. 2015;3(3):158-64.

Darko-Takyi C, Moodley VR, Boadi-Kusi SB. A review of normative data for parameters of functional non-strabismic binocular vision. African Vision and Eye Health. 2020 May 21;79(1):14. doi: doi: 10.4102/aveh.v79i1.507

Scheiman M, Wick B (2013). Clinical Management of Binocular Vision: Heterophoric, Accommodative, and Eye Movement Disorders. Fourth Edition, 752 pages. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health.

Sah SK, Chhetri P, Hegde N, Dahal M. Prevalence of computer vision syndrome among engineering and nursing college students in Bangalore. Optometry & Visual Performance. 2020;8(2):1-6.

Voskoboinik A, Kalman JM, De Silva A, Nicholls T, Costello B, Nanayakkara S, et al. Alcohol Abstinence in Drinkers with Atrial Fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2020;382(1):20-28. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1817591 pmid: 31893513

Nielsen NR, Thygesen LC, Johansen D, Jensen G, Grønbaek M. The influence of duration of follow-up on the association between alcohol and cause-specific mortality in a prospective cohort study. Ann Epidemiol. 2005;15(1):44-55. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2004.04.002 pmid: 15571993

Wegner AJ, Günthner A, Fahle M. Visual performance and recovery in recently detoxified alcoholics. Alcohol Alcohol. 2001;36(2):171-9. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/36.2.171 pmid: 11259215

Creupelandt C, Maurage P, D?Hondt F. Visuoperceptive Impairments in Severe Alcohol Use Disorder: A Critical Review of Behavioral Studies. Neuropsychol Rev. 2021;31(3):361-384. doi: 10.1007/s11065-020-09469-x pmid: 33591477

Poças IM, Grilo A, Lino P, Cabrita A, Carvalho A, Ruivo C, et al. Visual function and psychological variables in alcohol dependency syndrome. Strabismus. 2021;29(2):130-137. doi: 10.1080/09273972.2021.1914685 pmid: 33890536

Fawcett SL. An evaluation of the agreement between contour-based circles and random dot-based near stereoacuity tests. J AAPOS. 2005;9(6):572-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2005.06.006 pmid: 16414526

Grütters G, Reichelt JA, Ritz-Timme S, Thome M, Kaatsch HJ. Beeinträchtigung der Sicherheit im Schiffsverkehr durch Alkohol. Einfluss auf das Visuelle System [Impairment of safety in navigation caused by alcohol: impact on visual function]. Ophthalmologe. 2003;100(5):391-5. German. doi: 10.1007/s00347-002-0729-3 pmid: 12748805

Campbell H, Doughty MJ, Heron G, Ackerley RG. Influence of chronic alcohol abuse and ensuing forced abstinence on static subjective accommodation function in humans. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2001;21(3):197-205. doi: 10.1046/j.1475-1313.2001.00567.x pmid: 11396393

Hussaindeen JR, Rakshit A, Singh NK, George R, Swaminathan M, Kapur S, et al. Prevalence of non-strabismic anomalies of binocular vision in Tamil Nadu: report 2 of BAND study. Clin Exp Optom. 2017;100(6):642-648. doi: 10.1111/cxo.12496 pmid:27859646

Kalant H (2019). 4. ‘Cellular Effects of Alcohols’. In Alcohol & Alcoholism (pp. 22-32). University of Toronto Press. doi.org/10.3138/9781487582913-007

  • Abstract Viewed: 0 times
  • Full Text PDF Downloaded: 0 times

Download Statastics

Make a Submission
Information