Effects of Antidepressant Agents on Cornea and Ocular Surface

Aim: Today, antidepressants, which are frequently prescribed by physicians for different purposes, have various effects on ocular tissues. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of different agents on the cornea and ocular surface. Methods: For this purpose, 50 healthy controls and 336 patients were included in this study. The participants in this study were those who had never taken an antidepressant before and had been using only one antidepressant regularly for the last 1 year, had no known dr y eye disease, had not undergone any ocular surgery, were not pregnant, non -smoker, glaucoma, contact lens use, thyroid ophthalmopathy and/or patients who do not have an additional disease that may cause dry eye such as facial paralysis, who do not use any topical and/or systemic drugs for other purposes, and healthy controls who do not have any disease are included. Demographic data, names of antidepressant agents, OSDI (ocular surface disease index) scores, tear break -up time, Schirmer test and SICCA ocular staining scores of all participants were recorded. Results: Compared to the control group, all patient groups had higher OSDI scores and staining scores, and a lower Schirmer test result and a lower tear break -up time (all parameters, p<0,001). When specular microscope data were evaluated, cell density and hexagonality were found to be lower in all patient groups compared to the control group (all parameters, p<0,001). In the corneal topography data, there was a significant difference in all parameters in the patient groups when compared to the control group (all parameters, p<0,001). Conclusions: In conclusion, all antidepressant agents, especially sertraline and escitalopram in the SSRI group, have adverse effects on the cornea and ocular surface. Amo ng the current treatment options, agents in the SNRI group are more compatible with the ocular surface.