Although most visual complaints are due to common conditions, such as the need for eyeglasses or cataracts, there are some conditions due to problems with the connections between the eyes and the brain. These disorders are not common and include neurological conditions such as strokes, multiple sclerosis and brain tumors.

If your usual problem, such as blurred vision, is due to a common eye condition such as needing glasses, cataracts or macular degeneration, your ophthalmologist will be able to diagnose these problems. It is when there seems to be no eye-related disorder to account for the visual loss that you can be referred to a neuro-ophthalmologist, a specialist in brain-eye disorders.

Double vision is another condition that might be due to a problem in the connections between the brain and the eyes, and is best evaluated by a neuro-ophthalmologist.

Neuro-ophthalmologists take care of visual problems that are related to the nervous system; that is, visual problems that do not come from the eyes themselves. We use almost half of the brain for vision-related activities, including sight and moving the eyes. Neuro-ophthalmology, a subspecialty of both neurology and ophthalmology, requires specialized training and expertise in problems of the eye, brain, nerves and muscles. Neuro-ophthalmologists complete at least 5 years of clinical training after medical school and are usually board certified in Neurology, Ophthalmology, or both.

Source: http://www.nanosweb.org/patient_info/whatisano.htm
Source: North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society

Shiley Physicians

Leah Levi, M.D.