Effect of narcotic antagonists on the pupil diameter of nonaddicts

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The ability of the narcotic antagonists nalorphine and levallorphan to dilate the pupils of narcotic users and constrict the pupils of nonusers has led to their extensive employment in parole and probation work to detect narcotic use by former addicts. Since the test has been performed under field conditions without control studies, this investigation was done to determine the accuracy of measurement of pupil diameter by various methods and the effects of nalorphine and levallorphan on pupil diameter of normal subjects. It is concluded that even though there may be an appreciable variation in pupil diameter on consecutive readings before drug administration, both nalorphine and levallorphan generally cause a measurable miosis in subjects who do not use morphine or similar drugs. However, no single measurement of pupil size other than by photographic procedures should be considered to be absolutely reliable, especially if the pupil test alone is used as legal evidence for indicating use of narcotics.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: