CLINICAL SCIENCES Experimental and Clinical Evidence for Brimonidine as an Optic Nerve and Retinal Neuroprotective Agent

Objective:To review the available evidence for the neu-roprotective qualities of brimonidine tartrate in optic nerve and retinal injury. Methods:References for this studywere obtained by run-ning a search of the PubMed database using keywords brimonidine, neuroprotection, ischemic optic neuropathy, and 2-adrenergic agonists. References focusing on ocu-lar hypertension were excluded. Results: Forty-eight articles addressing 1 of 4 criteria for neuroprotection were included. The literature con-firms that brimonidine therapy meets the first 3 criteria for neuroprotection: receptors on its target tissues, ad-equate penetration into the vitreous and retina at phar-macologic levels, and induction of intracellular changes that enhance neuronal resistance to insults or interrup