Oculomotor Dysfunction is a relatively common visual condition that can affect individuals of all ages, usually due to a developmental delay or a result of a concussion (mTBI) or more serious traumatic brain injury (TBI) .
What are oculomotor disturbances?
Oculomotor disturbances or nystagmus—periodic, mostly involuntary, eye movements—are of topodiagnostic importance especially in patients with lesions in the brainstem region (which often means additional brainstem symptoms) or cerebellum.
How common is oculomotor dysfunction?
CI is the most common of these conditions, and studies show that it affects about 5% of the population . When other conditions like AI and oculomotor disorders are included, Tannen estimates that 1 in 10 students in any given elementary school classroom may have at least one disorder of binocular vision.
What is oculomotor apraxia?
Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia is a condition characterized by problems with movement that worsen over time . The hallmark of this condition is poor coordination and balance (ataxia), which is often the first symptom.
What is oculomotor control?
Anatomy, development, and physiology of the visual system
The oculomotor system, comprised of a variety of CNS centers, complex CNS connections, numerous peripheral inputs, cranial nerves III, IV, and VI (see Figs. 6–9 and the extraocular muscles, is responsible for aligning the eyes and movements of the eyes.
How do you fix oculomotor dysfunction?
Treatment for Oculomotor Dysfunction often includes a form of vision therapy involving specific neuro-optometry activities designed to improve fixation, strengthen your visual muscles, saccadic and pursuit eye movements, as well as improve information processing skills.
What is saccadic deficiency?
Symptoms that may be present if you or your child have a saccadic deficiency are slow reading , skipping words or lines, rereading over and over, poor comprehension, using a finger to track while reading, words appearing to move on the page, smearing of words or letters, words blurring in and out of focus, eye fatigue, ...
Why do saccades happen?
A reflexive saccade is triggered exogenously by the appearance of a peripheral stimulus , or by the disappearance of a fixation stimulus. A scanning saccade is triggered endogenously for the purpose of exploring the visual environment.
What is binocular vision dysfunction?
Binocular vision dysfunction (BVD) is a visual condition where the line of sight from one eye tends to be slightly out of alignment with the line of sight from the other eye (usually vertical) and this puts heavy strain on the eye muscles as they are constantly trying to correct the alignment to achieve single focus ...
How do you stop Oscillopsia?
- special glasses or contact lenses that help clear the vision, which may slow eye movements (usually in congenital cases)
- medication or surgery to treat conditions that cause nystagmus.
- stopping drug or alcohol use, if applicable.
What is Balint syndrome?
Balint syndrome is a rare manifestation of visual and spatial difficulties due to the parietal lobe lesions . We describe one such patient who had bilateral parietal infarcts and briefly discuss the etiopathogenesis of this disabling condition.
Is apraxia a neurological disorder?
Apraxia (called “dyspraxia” if mild) is a neurological disorder characterized by loss of the ability to execute or carry out skilled movements and gestures, despite having the desire and the physical ability to perform them.
Is oculomotor apraxia progressive?
Additional features include oculomotor apraxia and peripheral neuropathy. Some patients may show cognitive impairment. The disorder is progressive , and most patients become wheelchair-bound in the second or third decade (summary by Bras et al., 2015).
What is the main function of the oculomotor nerve?
Somatic (voluntary) functions of the oculomotor nerve include elevation of the upper eyelid via innervation of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle. Other essential functions include coordination of eye muscles for visual tracking and gaze fixation .
How do you test oculomotor nerve?
Step One: Open the right eyelid and shine the light into the right eye . Look only into the right eye to assess for a response. A normal response is a brisk constriction of the right pupil. If the pupil gets larger or has a sluggish response, it is considered abnormal.
What happens when the oculomotor nerve is damaged?
Damage to any of these nerves or the muscle or muscles they innervate causes dysconjugate gaze, which results in characteristic patterns of diplopia (double vision). In addition, with oculomotor nerve damage, patients also lose their pupillary constriction to light as well as the elevation of their eyelid .
