Skip to main content
PMC home page
The British Journal of Ophthalmology logoLink to The British Journal of Ophthalmology
. 1994 May;78(5):339–343. doi: 10.1136/bjo.78.5.339

Ophthalmic findings in dyslexic schoolchildren.

M L Latvala 1, T T Korhonen 1, M Penttinen 1, P Laippala 1
PMCID: PMC504783  PMID: 8025065

Abstract

The ophthalmic findings of 55 dyslexic 12 to 13-year-old Finnish schoolchildren and 50 age, sex, and social class-matched control children were evaluated. On a neuropsychological basis the children could be divided into six subgroups: general deficiency, general language, visuomotor, naming, mixed, and normal. The two groups did not differ significantly from each other in visual acuity, cycloplegic refraction, the amount of phorias and tropias, stereo acuity, fusion, or accommodation. Convergence near point > or = 8 cm was, however, statistically more frequent in the dyslexic group. This finding was also significant in the general deficiency subgroup compared with the other subgroups. The most conspicuous common denominator in those with dyslexia was revealed to be the convergence insufficiency type of exodeviation, occurring in 38% of the general deficiency dyslexic subgroup and in 36% of the visuomotor dyslexic subgroup. This finding suggests a low accommodative convergence/accommodation ratio in these children.

Full text

PDF
339

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aasved H. Ophthalmological status of school children with dyslexia. Eye (Lond) 1987;1(Pt 1):61–68. doi: 10.1038/eye.1987.10. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Beauchamp G. R., Kosmorsky G. Learning disabilities: update comment on the visual system. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1987 Dec;34(6):1439–1446. doi: 10.1016/s0031-3955(16)36366-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bedwell C. H., Grant R., McKeown J. R. Visual and ocular control anomalies in relation to reading difficulty. Br J Educ Psychol. 1980 Feb;50(1):61–70. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8279.1980.tb00798.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bigelow E. R., McKenzie B. E. Unstable ocular dominance and reading ability. Perception. 1985;14(3):329–335. doi: 10.1068/p140329. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bishop D. V., Jancey C., Steel A. M. Orthoptic status and reading disability. Cortex. 1979 Dec;15(4):659–666. doi: 10.1016/s0010-9452(79)80053-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Bishop D. V. Unfixed reference, monocular occlusion, and developmental dyslexia--a critique. Br J Ophthalmol. 1989 Mar;73(3):209–215. doi: 10.1136/bjo.73.3.209. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Blika S. Ophthalmological findings in pupils of a primary school with particular reference to reading difficulties. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh) 1982 Dec;60(6):927–934. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1982.tb00623.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Brinkley J. R., Jr, Walonker F. Convergence amplitude insufficiency. Ann Ophthalmol. 1983 Sep;15(9):826-8, 830-1. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Buzzelli A. R. Stereopsis, accommodative and vergence facility: do they relate to dyslexia? Optom Vis Sci. 1991 Nov;68(11):842–846. doi: 10.1097/00006324-199111000-00002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Byring R., Järvilehto T. Auditory and visual evoked potentials of schoolboys with spelling disabilities. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1985 Apr;27(2):141–148. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1985.tb03762.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Cassin B. Strabismus and learning disabilities. Am Orthopt J. 1975;25:38–45. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Cohen J., Breslin P. W. Visual evoked responses in dyslexic children. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1984;425:338–343. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1984.tb23553.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Duara R., Kushch A., Gross-Glenn K., Barker W. W., Jallad B., Pascal S., Loewenstein D. A., Sheldon J., Rabin M., Levin B. Neuroanatomic differences between dyslexic and normal readers on magnetic resonance imaging scans. Arch Neurol. 1991 Apr;48(4):410–416. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1991.00530160078018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Duffy F. H., McAnulty G. Neurophysiological heterogeneity and the definition of dyslexia: preliminary evidence for plasticity. Neuropsychologia. 1990;28(6):555–571. doi: 10.1016/0028-3932(90)90034-l. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Evans B. J., Drasdo N. Review of ophthalmic factors in dyslexia. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 1990 Apr;10(2):123–132. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-1313.1990.tb00965.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Flynn J. T. Dyslexia. Int Ophthalmol Clin. 1984 Spring;24(1):177–192. doi: 10.1097/00004397-198402410-00014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Galaburda A. M. Neuropathologic correlates of learning disabilities. Semin Neurol. 1991 Mar;11(1):20–27. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1041201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Geiger G., Lettvin J. Y. Peripheral vision in persons with dyslexia. N Engl J Med. 1987 May 14;316(20):1238–1243. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198705143162003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Gross-Glenn K., Duara R., Barker W. W., Loewenstein D., Chang J. Y., Yoshii F., Apicella A. M., Pascal S., Boothe T., Sevush S. Positron emission tomographic studies during serial word-reading by normal and dyslexic adults. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 1991 Jul;13(4):531–544. doi: 10.1080/01688639108401069. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Haddad H. M., Isaacs N. S., Onghena K., Mazor A. The use of orthoptics in dyslexia. J Learn Disabil. 1984 Mar;17(3):142–144. doi: 10.1177/002221948401700303. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Hall P. S., Wick B. C. The relationship between ocular functions and reading achievement. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 1991 Jan-Feb;28(1):17–19. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Hammerberg E., Norn M. S. Defective dissociation of accommodation and convergence in dyslectic children. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh) 1972;50(5):651–654. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1972.tb06605.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Hier D. B., LeMay M., Rosenberger P. B., Perlo V. P. Developmental dyslexia. Evidence for a subgroup with a reversal of cerebral asymmetry. Arch Neurol. 1978 Feb;35(2):90–92. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1978.00500260028005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Hynd G. W., Semrud-Clikeman M., Lorys A. R., Novey E. S., Eliopulos D. Brain morphology in developmental dyslexia and attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity. Arch Neurol. 1990 Aug;47(8):919–926. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1990.00530080107018. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Korhonen T. T. An empirical subgrouping of Finnish learning-disabled children. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol. 1991 Mar;13(2):259–277. doi: 10.1080/01688639108401042. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Korhonen T. T. Neuropsychological stability and prognosis of subgroups of children with learning disabilities. J Learn Disabil. 1991 Jan;24(1):48–57. doi: 10.1177/002221949102400109. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Lennerstrand G., Ygge J. Dyslexia; ophthalmological aspects 1991. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh) 1992 Feb;70(1):3–13. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1992.tb02085.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Livingstone M. S., Rosen G. D., Drislane F. W., Galaburda A. M. Physiological and anatomical evidence for a magnocellular defect in developmental dyslexia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991 Sep 15;88(18):7943–7947. doi: 10.1073/pnas.88.18.7943. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Metzger R. L., Werner D. B. Use of visual training for reading disabilities: a review. Pediatrics. 1984 Jun;73(6):824–829. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Newman S. P., Wadsworth J. F., Archer R., Hockly R. Ocular dominance, reading, and spelling ability in schoolchildren. Br J Ophthalmol. 1985 Mar;69(3):228–232. doi: 10.1136/bjo.69.3.228. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Norn M. S., Rindziunski E., Skydsgaard H. Ophthalmologic and orthoptic examinations of dyslectics. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh) 1969;47(1):147–160. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1969.tb05618.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Olson R. K., Kliegl R., Davidson B. J. Dyslexic and normal readers' eye movements. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform. 1983 Oct;9(5):816–825. doi: 10.1037//0096-1523.9.5.816. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Pinckers A. Color vision and age. Ophthalmologica. 1980;181(1):23–30. doi: 10.1159/000309021. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Rumsey J. M. The biology of developmental dyslexia. JAMA. 1992 Aug 19;268(7):912–915. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Shaywitz B. A., Waxman S. G. Dyslexia. N Engl J Med. 1987 May 14;316(20):1268–1270. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198705143162008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Stein J. F., Fowler S. Diagnosis of dyslexia by means of a new indicator of eye dominance. Br J Ophthalmol. 1982 May;66(5):332–336. doi: 10.1136/bjo.66.5.332. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Stein J. F., Riddell P. M., Fowler S. Disordered vergence control in dyslexic children. Br J Ophthalmol. 1988 Mar;72(3):162–166. doi: 10.1136/bjo.72.3.162. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Suchoff I. B. Research on the relationship between reading and vision-what does it mean? J Learn Disabil. 1981 Dec;14(10):573–576. doi: 10.1177/002221948101401005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Temple C. M. New approaches to the developmental dyslexias. Adv Neurol. 1984;42:223–232. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Ygge J., Lennerstrand G., Rydberg A., Wijecoon S., Pettersson B. M. Oculomotor functions in a Swedish population of dyslexic and normally reading children. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh) 1993 Feb;71(1):10–21. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1993.tb04953.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The British Journal of Ophthalmology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES