Neuro-Ophthalmology

Where the Eye Meets the Brain — Specialist Care at the Crossroads

Vision is not just about the eye. From the retina, visual signals travel along the optic nerve and through a complex pathway deep inside the brain before being processed as the images we see. When something goes wrong anywhere along this pathway — whether in the optic nerve, the visual cortex, or the structures in between — the consequences for vision can be profound and sometimes life-changing. Neuro-ophthalmology is the speciality that sits at this crossroads, and at RGC Eye Hospital, our neuro-ophthalmology service provides expert diagnosis and management of conditions affecting the visual pathway and its connections with the brain.

What Is Neuro-Ophthalmology?

Neuro-ophthalmology deals with neurological conditions that affect the eyes and vision. These include disorders of the optic nerve, the visual pathway, eye movements, and the pupillary responses. Many neuro-ophthalmic conditions are the first sign of serious neurological or systemic disease — making accurate diagnosis and timely referral to the appropriate specialists absolutely critical.

Conditions We Diagnose and Manage

• Optic neuritis — inflammation of the optic nerve, often associated with multiple sclerosis
• Ischaemic optic neuropathy — sudden vision loss from impaired blood supply to the optic nerve
• Papilloedema — swelling of the optic disc from raised intracranial pressure
• Optic nerve compression from tumours or enlarged blood vessels
• Unexplained visual field defects that do not fit a retinal or glaucoma pattern
• Diplopia (double vision) from cranial nerve palsies or muscle disorders
• Nystagmus — involuntary rhythmic movement of the eyes
• Pupil abnormalities — unequal or poorly reactive pupils
• Visual disturbances associated with migraine, stroke, or intracranial disease

Our Approach

Detailed History and Examination

Neuro-ophthalmic diagnosis requires a very thorough and systematic approach. We take a detailed history of your visual symptoms and their progression, perform a full ophthalmic examination, and carry out specific neuro-ophthalmic tests including visual field analysis, colour vision testing, pupillary assessment, and examination of eye movements.

Investigations

Depending on your symptoms and examination findings, further investigations may be arranged — including OCT of the optic nerve, VEP testing, blood tests, or neuroimaging such as MRI. We coordinate these investigations efficiently so that results are available as quickly as possible.

Coordinated Care

Many neuro-ophthalmic conditions require input from neurologists, neurosurgeons, or physicians in addition to ophthalmologists. We maintain close working relationships with specialists across these disciplines to ensure your care is properly coordinated and nothing is missed.

Why Patients Trust RGC Eye Hospital

• Specialist neuro-ophthalmology expertise — a rare and highly valued subspecialty
• A systematic and thorough diagnostic approach that leaves nothing to chance
• Access to the full range of investigations needed for accurate diagnosis
• Close collaboration with neurology and other relevant specialties for complete care