Blinking Exercise Study

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.

NCT Number	NCT07554937
Lead Sponsor	St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton
Conditions	Dry Eye Disease (DED), Glaucoma
Enrollment	45 participants
Start Date	2026-08
Primary Completion	2027-03 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-03 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-05-04