Increased Psychophysiological Variability of the Anisocoric Individual: A Neurological Model.

Bilateral differences in the diameter of the two pupils, anisocoria, has been associated with everything from beriberi to psychological trauma. The one common finding in most studies dealing with anisocoria is the increased psychophysiological variability of this population. A neurological model is proposed explaining both the anisocoric condition and increase in autonomic variability. The model suggests that deficiencies in the ascending bulbar inhibitory system reduce tonic control of the medial reticular activating system and may be implicated in the etiology of anisocoria. The portions of the nervous system implicated are those reported by Lacey (1967) to be involved in "directional fractionation." It is suggested that the anisocoric individual may provide a ready made "lesioned" sample with which to compare normal subjects. At the very least anisocoria represents another example of bilateral autonomic asymmetry. Possible research in this area is disussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]