Eye Movements and Reading Disabilities

Stopped early

Conditions studied: Reading Disability, Dyslexia

In brief

The mechanism of the eye movement anomalies seen in dyslexic patients is not well defined. Some optometrists use observational eye movement tests as screening devices for dyslexia and advocate eye movement therapy as a treatment option for dyslexia. The reliability of the clinical eye movement tests and the efficacy of the eye movement therapies have not been determined. Saccades are the fast eye movements that move our eyes from one word to the next when we read. The eye movement recordings from patients diagnosed with reading disorders, extra ocular muscle imbalances and control patients (no learning disability or eye movement disorder) will be analyzed and compared. The sensitivity and specificity of detecting reading disorders will be determined for the Visagraph III and the Readalyzer. Although these clinical tests are frequently used to diagnose saccadic inaccuracies and diagnose dyslexia in school aged children, the validity of these clinical screening tests has not been determined.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT01860027

Run by

Scripps Health

People needed

1

Starts

2013-12-01

Expected to finish

2014-09-01

Last updated by the study team

2023-11-22

Who can join

Age: 7 and older, up to 13. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• 1. Age 7 to 13 (Must be in at least 2nd grade, but not higher than 8th grade) 2. Complete ophthalmic examination performed by a pediatric ophthalmologist and orthoptist.
• All ocular structures must be within normal limits. 4. Best corrected visual acuity must be equal to or better than 20/30 in each eye.
• Group 1:
• Children with a reading disability must be given the diagnosis by a clinical educational specialist, educational psychologist or neuro-behavioral psychologist.
• Children with a reading disability may not have any ophthalmic anomaly determined by testing as described above. This includes but is not limited to amblyopia, strabismus, nystagmus, or any organic disease.
• Group 2
• a. Eye movement disorder confirmed by testing by a pediatric ophthalmologist and/or orthoptist b. All other ocular structures must be within normal limits (including visual acuity).
• Group 3:
• No evidence of reading disability, attention deficit disorder or ocular anomaly, including eye muscle or movement disorder as specified above.

You may not qualify if…

• 1. Myopia more than - 6.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) in either eye. 2. Hyperopia more than + 6.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) in either eye. 3. History of vision therapy or orthoptic treatment 4. Any ocular anomaly with the exception of eye movement disorder for group 2.

Where it is running

• Scripps Clinic — San Diego, California, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.