Neuro-Ophthalmology specializes in the intricate relationship of the brain and the visual system. Five of the 12 major nerves in the cranium play a role in vision. Nerve diseases and other problems can affect the optic nerve and other pathways that carry vision signals to the brain, or compromise vision by affecting tissues around the eye itself. This service area investigates, diagnoses and treats congenital, inflammatory and infectious conditions of the optic nerve head and the retrobulbar visual pathways, as well as neoplastic and systemic conditions. Trauma, aging, tumors and degenerative illnesses can also be factors, as can disorders of pupillary function and supranuclear, internuclear, nuclear and infranuclear ocular motor issues. Some neuro-ophthalmic conditions affect the higher levels of visual function, altering the interpretation, rather than the perception, of visual information. Computerized eye-motion monitors/display systems and neuro-radiology (CT and MRI) techniques provide insight into such conditions. Detailed pictures of the brain help in diagnosis and treatment strategies for intracranial tumors, pituitary adenomas and disorders affecting either the visual sensory pathways or the ocular motor. Anatomic and physiological studies, as well as other visual-field test interpretations, are also key.
