Neuro-Ophthalmology

Through our specialized elective, you will develop expertise in comprehensively caring for patients with visual problems, such as abnormalities in visual acuity, visual fields and eye movements. You will expand your skill set — from diagnosis to management — as you learn:

1. to obtain complete neuro-ophthalmologic histories
2. to accurately diagnose eye conditions incorporating information from prior and current medical records, imaging and laboratory tests
   
3. to perform full neuro-ophthalmologic examinations, encompassing visual acuity testing, color vision testing, confrontational fields examination, pupil examination and fundoscopic examination with an indirect ophthalmoscope
4. to use the direct ophthalmoscope, maddox rod and muscle light for pupillary examination
5. to localize visual pathway lesions
6. to interpret different types of visual field testing (Humphrey, Goldmann, tangent and confrontational)
7. to distinguish and treat various types of optic nerve disease (papilledema, ischemic optic neuropathy, optic atrophy)
8. to formulate differential diagnoses (including diplopia and different optic neuropathies) for neuro-ophthalmologic disorders

Initially, our supervising neuro-ophthalmologist will teach you examination techniques and review your patient histories. You will progress to perform examinations independently, with faculty always available for guidance.

Once you learn to perform basic ophthalmologic and neuro-ophthalmologic examinations (bedside and outpatient) and localize visual pathway lesions, you will teach techniques to less experienced members of your team.

Our robust didactic training includes presentations in neuroscience and neuro-ophthalmology. Along with informal, ad-hoc lectures, these will help you gain crucial background knowledge, including a solid understanding of the visual pathway anatomy, to enhance your clinical neuro-ophthalmology skills.

You will both learn and teach others by researching assigned topics based on the clinical cases you see, then presenting and discussing relevant articles.

You will be exposed to patients with various ocular and optic conditions that accompany neurological conditions, including:

• abnormalities in visual acuity, visual fields and eye movements
• various types of optic nerve disease

• neuro-ophthalmologist

You will typically see 15 to 20 patients per day.

1-2 modules