Relation between tear breakup time and spontaneous blink rate

Abstract

Blinking plays an important role in maintaining corneal integrity by spreading of the tear film. Although there are studies reporting on blink rate and tear stability, a consensus has not been reached. Therefore, the blink rate and tear breakup time (TBUT) test were performed in 159 healthy young females. The mean TBUT and blink rate values observed were 18.9 seconds and 18.6 blinks/min, respectively. A significant correlation (r = 0.74, p < 0.05) between TBUT and blink rate was found. These results demonstrate that blink rate may be dependent on TBUT, at least among subjects with TBUT less than 19 seconds. Thus, blink rate may depend not only on cortical stimuli but also on the stability of the tear film.