Title: Modelling Infantile Congenital Nystagmus

Speaker: David Berry
Departmento de Fisica, Universidade de Evora, Colegio Luis Verney,
7002-554 Evora, Portugal

Abstract:

Congenital nystagmus (CN) is an incurable pathological spontaneous
oscillation of the eyes with an onset in the first few months of life. The
pathophysiology of CN is mysterious. There is no consistent neurological
abnormality, but the majority of patients have a wide range of unrelated
congenital visual abnormalities affecting either the cornea, lens, retina,
or optic nerve. In this seminar it is argued that these eye oscillations
could develop as an adaptive response to maximise visual contrast with
poor foveal function in the infant visuomotor system, at a time of peak
neural plasticity. This can explain why CN does not emerge later in life
and why CN is so refractory to treatment. It also implies that any
therapeutic intervention would need to be very early in life.