Neuro-Ophthalmology

The University of Kansas Health System provides subspecialized care for people with neurological disorders that affect their vision. Our neuro-ophthalmologist works closely with our neurologists to treat people with any problems involving sight or eye movement that is related to the nervous system.

When vision problems appear to be related to the nervous system, a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in neuro-ophthalmology is called in. You should see a neuro-ophthalmologist if you have:

• A sudden change in pupil size
• Double vision due to misalignment
• High intracranial pressure, or pressure in the head, which can cause optic nerve swelling and loss of vision
• Involuntary shaking of the eyes
• Loss of vision due to a problem with the brain or optic nerves
• Migraine headaches
• Problems moving your eyes
• Tumors of the pituitary gland or other tumors that compress visual pathways
• Unequal pupils

A neuro-ophthalmologist examines and evaluates vision and eye movement. They review visual acuity, color vision and visual field testing. Some of the common conditions evaluated by a neuro-ophthalmologist include:

• Abnormal eye movements
• Double vision
• Optic nerve problems (such as optic neuritis and ischemic optic neuropathy)
• Unexplained visual loss or loss of visual field
• Visual disturbances

Other neurological conditions that may affect vision include:

• Brain tumors
• Multiple sclerosis
• Strokes

Our physicians perform leading-edge, basic, clinical and applied research in ophthalmology and vision science.