Category: research

Child with albinism.

The impact of glare on reading

Researchers are investigating the impact of glare on young children with albinism and nystagmus to help ease important day-to-day tasks like reading.

Jointly funded by Nystagmus Network and Fight for Sight, a team of researchers at the University of Leicester will be investigating glare in patients with infantile nystagmus.  

People with nystagmus often experience glare, but this has not been researched thoroughly despite the discomfort it can cause and the impact it has on reading.  

Led by Dr Frank Proudlock, the study will measure the effect of glare by testing reading overlays, tinted contact lenses and other means.

Although there are several devices that doctors use to measure glare in eye clinics, few of them have been tested as to how well they measure glare in nystagmus. Also, it is very difficult to measure glare in young children.

The team at University of Leicester will study four groups of people: people with albinism; people with idiopathic infantile nystagmus; people with achromatopsia; and people without nystagmus.

The team hopes the study will help doctors to make reliable measurement of glare in people with infantile nystagmus, especially in young children.

Understanding how glare can affect reading in people with infantile nystagmus and ways of managing it will help provide useful information to parents, teachers, doctors and patients to come up with the best solutions for reading at home, work and at school or university.

Keith Valentine, Fight for Sight CEO said:

“We’re pleased to continue our important partnership with the Nystagmus Network, funding these vital projects. With one person in every 1,500 people having nystagmus, it’s vital that we fund research that can help improve lives and make sure children and adults with nystagmus live their lives to the fullest.”

Donate to the Nystagmus Network research fund here

University College London logo

What shapes quality of life of visually impaired children and young people?

Guest post by Ana Semrov, PhD student and study researcher, Vision and Eyes research team at UCL

Childhood visual impairment can have a significant impact on a person across their whole life, affecting their social and educational outcomes, career prospects and quality of life. However, how individual children and their families adapt to living with a visual disability is very variable. 

We aim to find out what helps children and young people with visual impairment and their families adjust to living with impaired eyesight and helps them have a good quality of life. We hope this will help us to develop and improve care and support for families of children and young people with visual impairment. 

To do this, we are inviting children and young people with visual impairment and their families to take part in our study. Taking part in this study would involve both the child/young person with visual impairment and at least one of their parents/carers completing some questionnaires about topics like general health, well-being, and relationships with others.

If you would like to participate, please fill in a few questions that will tells us a bit about you to help us make sure this study is right for you. To answer these questions, please go to https://redcap.idhs.ucl.ac.uk/surveys/?s=9FNN88TLENTKY4YE.

This research is funded by Fight for Sight and Ulverscroft Foundation, awarded to Professor Jugnoo Rahi.

A group of researchers.

Perceptions of nystagmus and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals with nystagmus
and an exploration of public assumptions about the condition: an electronic questionnaire study

The study explored the self-reported impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on those with nystagmus, and examined both public understanding of how nystagmus affects people who have it and the perceptions of public understanding by those with the condition and their carers.

In conclusion, the study highlights the lack of public awareness of nystagmus and suggests opportunities to increase awareness without the need for extensive knowledge of the condition. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed additional difficulties for those living with nystagmus, which is likely to be comparable among those with similar ocular disorders.

Jay Self, a member of the team behind the survey, says: “Perhaps the most important message is that people who even loosely know someone with nystagmus or even those who have heard of it, tend to have a much greater understanding of the problems faced by those with nystagmus meaning that perhaps very soft things (like Richard Osman talking about it on the radio, for example) could be done to improve public awareness and appreciation without the need for the whole populous to have been to a seminar on it.”

Sue Ricketts from the Nystagmus Network, also involved in the survey, says: “It just goes to show that raising awareness of nystagmus, such as by marking Nystagmus Awareness Day each year, really does have an impact on the lives of people living with this condition.”

Read the full research article online here

Thank you to those members of the nystagmus community who took part in the survey and shared it with their wider circles.

Dr Rufai speaks from a podium with a large screen behind him showing slides.

Congratulations, team Leicester

Leicester research team awarded prestigious prize from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists

Image credit: Royal College of Ophthalmologists

A team of specialist eye doctors at the University of Leicester have received a national award for their work, which will improve diagnosis and management for children with nystagmus. The study was jointly funded by the Nystagmus Network and Fight for Sight.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists has awarded the prestigious Ulverscroft David Owen prize to Dr Sohaib Rufai, NIHR Doctoral Fellow in Ophthalmology and his colleagues at the University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit.

Dr Rufai’s team were the first in the world to use handheld OCT to predict successfully the future vision of young children with congenital nystagmus.

On receiving the prize, Dr Rufai said: “It is a tremendous honour to receive this award on behalf of my team. I’m grateful to my mentors and colleagues at Leicester: Professor Irene Gottlob, Dr Mervyn Thomas and Dr Frank Proudlock. … We dedicate this prize to the wonderful children and families who supported this research.”

Read the full story on the University of Leicester website

The logo of BIOJ.

Nystagmus in Down Syndrome – a Retrospective Notes Review

Nystagmus has been reported in up to 30% of people with Down Syndrome (DS), and yet is still not well understood. This study, by a team at Moorfields Eye Hospital, aims to characterise the clinical features of patients with DS and nystagmus. It is recently published in the British and Irish Orthoptic Journal (BIOJ).

The article sheds light on the different types of nystagmus which can be present in someone who has DS and, in particular, that these can arise from a variety of causes, not always linked directly with DS.

Full clinical assessment of the nystagmus is needed in order to inform support and management of the sight.

Read the full article in BIOJ online here

Harshal Kubavat headshot.

Thank you, Harshal

The Nystagmus Network’s newest trustee, Dr Harshal Kubavat has a young child with nystagmus. Like many parents, he had never heard of nystagmus before. After supporting the charity’s work in the research space as a volunteer for some time, Harsh joined us as a trustee in November 2021. He is now a stalwart of the research committee and also serves with the awareness team, overseeing our major events, such as Open Day as well as the research workshops and Symposium2022.

Would you like to join our trustee team?

Child wearing a Nystagmus Network T shirt and holding a mascot.

What shapes quality of life of visually impaired children and young people?

Guest post by Ana Semrov, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health

We are looking for volunteers to take part in our study called: What shapes quality of life of visually impaired children and young people.

What is the study about?

We aim to find out what helps children and young people with visual impairment and their families adjust to living with impaired eyesight and helps them have a good quality of life. We hope this will help us to develop and improve care and support for families of children and young people with visual impairment. To do this, we are inviting children and young people with visual impairment and their families to take part in our study.

What would I need to do?

Taking part in this study would involve both the child/young person with visual impairment and at least one of their parents/carers completing some questionnaires about topics like general health, well-being, and relationships with others.

Who are we looking for?

We would like to hear from you if you are

  • Someone living in England or Wales
  • 8 to 18 years old
  • Have visual impairment caused by any medical condition

OR you are

  • Parent or caregiver of a child aged 8 to 18 years who has visual impairment

I’m interested! What should I do now?

First, we kindly ask you to fill in a few questions that will tells us a bit about you to help us make sure this study is right for you. To answer these questions, please scan the QR code below or go to https://redcap.idhs.ucl.ac.uk/surveys/?s=9FNN88TLENTKY4YE

QR code

If you have problems accessing the weblink provided above, or if this sounds like something of interest of you but would like to hear more first, please let us know by calling: 020 7905 2241, or email: [email protected].

Thank you for considering taking part in our study.

Yours sincerely,

Ana Semrov (Study Researcher), Life Course Epidemiology and Biostatistics,
UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH;

020 7905 2241          : [email protected]

Professor Jugnoo Rahi (Professor of Ophthalmic Epidemiology), Life Course Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH;

020 7905 2250                     : [email protected]

The eye logo of the Nystagmus Network and the words Nystagmus Awareness Day 20 June

People’s perceptions of nystagmus and the impact of Covid-19

In November 2020, the Nystagmus Network shared news of a new research survey into people’s perceptions of nystagmus. The results have now been published.

The responses to the survey show that people with nystagmus tended to predict that the public would not think that the condition affects their daily lifestyle as much as it actually does.

It seems that members of the public had a greater understanding of challenges faced by individuals with nystagmus if they had met someone with nystagmus or if they had even heard of the condition.

This suggests that greater public awareness of the condition could be achieved through increased exposure of the condition through media and other online methods of promotion.

What this tells us, is that raising awareness of nystagmus is beneficial for everyone.

Future work
It is thought that further qualitative questionnaire studies regarding nystagmus could be carried out to identify specific issues that individuals with nystagmus have faced during lockdown and whether these are common to other disorders of vision.

Read the full summary of the survey results online here

Gemma wearing the CROM and a clinical face mask.

Nystagmus Network funds research equipment

At the end of 2021 the Nystagmus Network invited funding applications from UK nystagmus researchers to cover the cost of equipment needed to take their work forward. This week work has begun at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hospital using newly funded equipment.

Orthoptist, Gemma Arblaster, from the University of Sheffield applied for a grant to purchase two different head position measuring devices. Her aim was to find a simple, accurate and clinically acceptable method of measuring head position and abnormal head postures in patients with nystagmus.

The Nystagmus Network was delighted to be able to fund the equipment, costing £549.25, thanks to the generosity of our supporters and fundraisers.

In patients with nystagmus head position is an important measurement, particularly during different tasks and different levels of visual demand. Currently in clinical practice Orthoptist or Ophthalmologist descriptions of head position and abnormal head postures are relied on. This method could be improved, and head position could be recorded and measured more accurately. 

The team at the University of Sheffield have been exploring methods of head position measurement, with an attempt to find a robust, but simple method of accurately measuring head position and head postures. Ideally this measurement would be simple to perform and non-invasive, but finding an accurate and remote method of measuring head position, suitable for clinical practice, has proved difficult. The gold standard Polhemus device was accurate, but impractical to use in a clinical setting. The depth camera (microsoft Kinect camera) was easier to use, but the data was less accurate than the Polhemus, particularly when less of the face was visible to the camera. The Kinect camera has also been commercially discontinued.

Gemma’s application was for two ‘low tech’ devices to measure head position to further both clinical and research interests in measuring head position and abnormal head postures in nystagmus. The cervical range of motion (CROM) is positioned on the head, but is considered accurate and fairly simple to use. The goniometer is an even simpler device that is placed near the head and does not need to be worn, however it can only measure in one plane at a time. Both devices offer potential to be used accurately to measure head position and abnormal head postures in patients with nystagmus, but further evidence is needed to explore their usability and support their accuracy.

Firstly, the devices will be used in the Orthoptic clinic at STH NHS FT to explore their ease of use and limitations in patients with nystagmus and abnormal head postures. Secondly, ethical approval will be gained for a research study comparing clinician descriptions of head position and abnormal head postures (current clinical practice) with measurements using the CROM and the goniometer in patients with nystagmus and abnormal head postures for other clinical reasons. The aim is to find out which method of measuring head position and abnormal head postures is the most simple and accurate in patients with nystagmus. This research will be published and the results disseminated. The plan is to apply for further funding to support research investigating and measuring head position and abnormal head posture measurement in nystagmus. This is particularly important for measuring the outcomes of interventions for nystagmus that are specifically targeted at improving head posture (such as surgery) and improving vision (such as medications).

Gemma currently has a clinical contract with STH NHS FT and a lecturer position at the University of Sheffield. This gives her a unique opportunity to undertake research in clinical populations and in student populations. The CROM and goniometer devices will be kept in the Orthoptic Department at STH NHS FT and used in patients with nystagmus for clinical and research purposes. Both devices will also be available to the University of Sheffield for undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research projects, which can only recruit participants from the volunteer student population.

This week, Gemma has begun work with the Nystagmus Network funded devices. She said:

“Thank you Nystagmus Network for funding our new head posture measuring equipment. I’m excited to start using it in the orthoptics clinic at Sheffield Hospital.”

A doctor wearing scrubs is writing on a clipboard. She is smiling at the camera.

Nystagmus affects quality of life of children and their parents, confirms new research

A team at the Eye Hospital and School of Ophthalmology and Optometry at Wenzhou Medical University in China have recently published their research on the effects of childhood cataract surgery in young children. The results show that the impact of nystagmus, strabismus and amblyopia, resulting from the cataracts, not from the surgery, have a significant impact on the quality of life of both the child and their parents, when compared to families where the child has full vision. This will come as no surprise to families living with a child who has nystagmus.

The quality of life is affected most for the child because of the impact of these eye conditions on the functional vision, meaning that they are more likely to be limited in the activities they can take part in at school and elsewhere. For parents, the most significant impact on the quality of their life is the constant worry about their child’s eyesight.

It is thought that the best solution would be to bring cataract surgery forward in these children, before the nystagmus, strabismus or amblyopia has time to develop.

Read the full article online here