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Blinking Exercise Study

NCT07554937 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 45

Last updated 2026-05-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a structured blinking exercise can improve symptoms and signs of dry eye disease (DED) in adults with glaucoma who are using topical intraocular pressure-lowering medications. The study will also assess the effects of the intervention on tear film stability, blink function, and participant adherence to the exercise.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Does a two-week structured blinking exercise reduce dry eye symptoms, as measured by the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and Symptom Assessment in Dry Eye (SANDE) questionnaires? Does the blinking exercise improve objective measures of ocular surface health, including non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) and blink dynamics?

Researchers will compare glaucoma patients receiving topical medications (intervention group) with glaucoma suspects not using topical therapy (control group) to evaluate the effectiveness of the blinking exercise on dry eye outcomes.

Participants in both groups will receive instruction on a standardized blinking exercise protocol consisting of repeated close-squeeze-open blinking cycles performed three times daily for two weeks. Participants will attend study visits at baseline, 2 weeks (post-intervention), and 4 weeks (follow-up). At each visit, participants will complete validated dry eye questionnaires and undergo non-invasive assessments of tear film stability, blink characteristics, and meibomian gland function. Adherence to the blinking exercise will be monitored using self-reported logs or reminders.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Structured Blinking Exercise Training

A standardized, non-drug blink exercise program where participants perform 15 close-squeeze-open blink cycles, three times daily for two weeks. It is designed specifically for glaucoma patients with dry eye, focuses on improving blink mechanics and tear film stability, includes guided instruction and adherence support, and is used alongside existing glaucoma treatment without modifying medications.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Enitan A. Sogbesan, M.D. · McMaster University

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-08-31
Primary Completion
2027-03-31
Completion
2027-03-31

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07554937 on ClinicalTrials.gov