Drugs acting through autonomic system for ocular use

Abstract

Autonomic nervous system plays a pivotal role in controlling ocular functions starting from aperture and focus control to the production of aqueous humour. It also controls the intrinsic functions and blood supply to various ocular tissues through cholinergic and adrenergic receptors. Cholinergic and adrenergic agonists and antagonists are major class of drugs used in diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in ophthalmology. This chapter is an attempt to review the autonomic nervous system innervations to the ocular structures, their role in carrying out physiological functions of eye and drugs acting through this system as diagnostic, palliative and curative strategies in various ophthalmic conditions.