The Eyes are the Mirror of the Brain: Pupilometry and Its Applications in Psychology

Year 2022, Volume: 5 Issue: 10, 101 - 108, 15.08.2022

Mehmet Erdem Memetoğlu

Abstract

The increase in the clinical application areas of radiological imaging methods and the introduction of new imaging methods in recent years, has revolutionized brain physiology, functions and etiology of psychopathologies and inves- tigating of the responses of these pathologies to different treatment models. The introduction of these methods in the field of mental health, scientific psychiatry, psychology and psychotherapy; in accordance with the methodology of science, contributed to the observation and measure qualities. Although the use of high-tech devices method such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) has managed to obtain specific data in psychopathologies, the high cost of such devices and the difficulties of accessing these devices have brought the need for cheaper, easily accessible methods such as pupillometry.
Pupil is a smooth round opening in the middle of the iris in the structure of the eye. Stimulation of the pupil with au- tonomic nerves and pupil response to this stimulus are important in evaluating the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Pupil rulers or pupillometer devices can be used to evaluate the pupillary diameter.Studies based on the measurement of pupillometry and eye movements have been increasing in recent years, es- pecially in the fields of medicine and psychology. Pupil diameter; It can be an indicator of a person’s emotional state, mental activity, and decision-making processes.
Pupil functions, in the field of mental health as well; It has been reported that it can be used in many areas such as understanding the information processing styles of the patients and choosing the appropriate treatment model.
In our article, we aimed to reveal the neurobiological relationship between pupil and eye functions with mind and emotions, and to make a compilation of studies regarding this subject.

Keywords

Pupil, Pupilometry, Neurobiology, Psychopathology

Gözler Beynin Aynasıdır. Pupilometri ve Psikolojideki Uygulamaları

Abstract

Son yıllarda radyolojik görüntüleme yöntemlerinin klinik uygulama alanlarının artması ve yeni görüntüleme yöntemlerinin uygulamaya girmesi; beyin fizyolojisinin, fonksiyonlarının ve psikopatolojilerin etiyolojilerinin belirlenmesi ve bu patolojilerin farklı tedavi modellerine cevaplarının araştırılması yönünden çığır açmıştır. Ruh sağlığı alanında bu yöntemlerin kullanıma girmesi, bilimsel anlamda psikiyatri, psikoloji ve psikoterapi alanlarının; bilim metodolojisine uygun olarak, gözlemlenip, ölçülebilir olma niteliklerine katkıda bulunmuştur. Fonksiyonel manyetik rezonans görüntüleme (FMRI) yöntemi gibi yüksek teknolojik cihazların kullanımı, psikopatolojilerde somut verilerin elde edilmesini sağlamış olsa da, bu tip cihazların yüksek maliyetleri ve bu cihazlara erişim zorluklarının bulunması, pupillometri gibi daha ucuz, kolay erişilebilir yöntemlere ihtiyacı gündeme getirmiştir.
Pupil (göz bebeği), gözün yapısında bulunan irisin ortasında düzgün yuvarlak açıklıktır. Pupilin otonom sinirlerle uyarımı ve bu uyarıya pupil cevabı, sempatik ve parasempatik sistem aktivitesini değerlendirmede önemlidir. Pupil çapının değerlendirmesinde, pupil cetvelleri ya da pupillometre cihazları kullanılabilir.
Pupilometri ve göz hareketlerinin ölçümlerine dayalı çalışmalar, başta tıp ve psikoloji alanlarında olmak üzere son yıllarda giderek daha fazla yer artmaktadır. Pupil çapı; kişinin duygusal durumunun, mental aktivitesinin ve karar verme süreçlerinin bir göstergesi olabilir.
Pupil fonksiyonlarının, ruh sağlığı alanında da; hastaların bilgi işleme tarzlarını anlamak, kişiye uygun tedavi modelini seçmek gibi birçok alanda kullanılabileceği yönünde çalışmalar bildirilmektedir.
Yazımızda pupil ve göz fonksiyonlarının zihin ve duygularla ilişkisini nörobiyolojik yönden ortaya koyup, bu konuda yapılmış çalışmaların bir derlemesini yapmayı amaçladık.

Keywords

psikopatoloji, pupil, pupillometre, nörobiyoloji

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