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ABSTRACT
AC/A ratio is an important parameter in routine eye examination which quantifies the relationship between accommodation and convergence. Pilocarpine is a direct acting parasympathomimetic drug that activates the parasympathetic nervous system by mimicking or modifying the effects of acetylcholine. This prospective experimental study was carried out to investigate the effect of pilocarpine on AC/A ratio. The AC/A ratios were assessed in 40 healthy young adults (20 males and 20 females) with ages ranging between 18 and 30 years (mean 22.35 ± 2.98), before instillation (baseline value) and after instillation of pilocarpine 2%. This study was carried out at the Optometry Clinic, University of Benin, Benin city, Edo state. Data collected from the study was analysed using the statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS) version 22.0. Descriptive statistics (mean, median, percentiles) was used to summarize and describe the characteristics of the study participants. The study employed paired T- test and Mann Whitney- U test to assess significance. The results from the study revealed a very significant decrease in AC/A ratio (mean change of 1.08) upon instillation of pilocarpine 2% with p<0.001. However, there was no significant difference in change in AC/A ratio between males and females with p=0.068. In conclusion, pilocarpine induced accommodation spasm significantly reduced AC/A ratio in young adults. As a recommendation, clinicians should watch out for this drug-induced spasm during assessment or test of visual functions. KEYWORDS: Pilocarpine, Accommodation, Convergence, AC/A ratio.
