Dry eye and brain injury

Dry eye may initially be pretty low on the list of medical concerns for patients recovering from traumatic brain injury, with much more emphasis placed on regaining critical functions like mobility and speech. Together, these cranial and corneal nerves are responsible for detecting sensation and reporting pain - actions that signal tear production, the blink reflex, and the release of important immune factors and nutrients into the tears. Autologous serum harvested from the patient or viable donor can also be of assistance in these cases as a compound (suggestion: 20% concentration) containing a hyperdose of sorts in natural tears such as growth factors, neuromediators, cytokines and vitamins (Matsumoto et al.).