{
  "abstract": "Background: Structural and functional evaluation of the ophthalmic division (V1) of the trigeminal nerve lacks standardised approaches integrating high-resolution anatomical imaging with complementary neurophysiological testing.\n\nObjectives: To evaluate the feasibility of a multimodal assessment of the ophthalmic trigeminal pathway using high-resolution non-contrast MRI, blink reflex testing (BRT) and Quantitative Cutaneous Sensory Testing (QEST) and to report preliminary descriptive anatomical, neurophysiological and cutaneous sensory measurements in healthy adults.\n\nMethods: In this prospective observational study, 20 healthy volunteers (11 males and 9 females; mean age 32 years) underwent 3-T MRI, BRT and QEST. MRI included three-dimensional isotropic T1-weighted sequences for morphometric assessment of the left frontal and supraorbital nerves. Blink reflex latencies and QEST thresholds were assessed bilaterally.\n\nResults: Frontal and supraorbital nerves were visualised in all subjects. Mean frontal nerve calibre was 0.160 cm×0.160 cm; proximal and distal supraorbital segments measured 0.148 cm×0.135 cm and 0.140 cm×0.114 cm, respectively. All blink reflex responses were present. R2 latencies were strongly correlated between sides, and the mean absolute inter-side differences were 0.63 ms for R1, 2.03 ms for ipsilateral R2 and 1.17 ms for contralateral R2. QEST thresholds demonstrated no significant lateral differences.\n\nConclusions: This study supports the feasibility of a combined MRI–blink reflex–QEST protocol and provides preliminary descriptive measurements of complementary structural, reflex and cutaneous sensory domains of the ophthalmic trigeminal pathway. Larger, age-diverse cohorts and prospective clinical validation are required before these measurements can be used as normative intervals or for clinical decision-making.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Eye Clinic, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy",
    "Department of Ophthalmology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Lombardia, Italy",
    "Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Lombardia, Italy",
    "Department of Ophthalmology, Universita degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Sicily, Italy",
    "Neuromuscular and Neuroimmunology Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Lombardia, Italy",
    "Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (DIMI), Universita degli Studi di Genova, Genoa, Liguria, Italy",
    "Department of Neuroradiology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Lombardia, Italy",
    "S.C Neuroradiology, Ospedale Santa Corona Pietra Ligure, Pietra Ligure, Liguria, Italy",
    "Department of Ophthalmology, Universita degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy",
    "Department of Radiology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Lombardia, Italy"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 14,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Alessandro Gaeta"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Giovanni Ottonelli",
      "orcid": "0009-0007-9213-2834"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Silvia Ferraro"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Antonio La Rosa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Francesca Gallia"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Chiara Polini"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Lorenza Narcisi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Luca Alessandro Cappellini"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Jacopo Gandolfo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Maria Angela Romeo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Giovanni Savini"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        9
      ],
      "name": "Letterio Salvatore Politi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Giuseppe Giannaccare",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2617-0289"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Alessandra Di Maria"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f7wbr4ng1m0h1.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1136/bmjophth-2026-002871",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13735253/",
  "id": "f7wbr4ng1m0h1",
  "issns": [
    "2397-3269"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjophth-2026-002871",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
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    ],
    [
      "heading",
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    [
      "heading",
      "Original Research"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Vision Science"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2728|Peripheral Nerve Disorders"
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  "openalex": "W7225196561",
  "pdf_url": "https://bmjophth.bmj.com/content/11/4/e002871.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": "PMC13735253",
  "pmid": "42977310",
  "published": "2026-11-03",
  "publisher": "BMJ Publishing Group",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f7wbr4ng1m0h1.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T12:20:58Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13735253",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjophth-2026-002871"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2728|Peripheral Nerve Disorders",
      "subfield": "neurology"
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  ],
  "title": "Combined structural and functional assessment of the ophthalmic trigeminal pathway in healthy adults: a feasibility study with preliminary reference data",
  "title_text": "Combined structural and functional assessment of the ophthalmic trigeminal pathway in healthy adults: a feasibility study with preliminary reference data",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T12:20:58Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/f7wbr4ng1m0h1",
  "venue": "BMJ Open Ophthalmology",
  "versions": []
}