Neurological problems in children often cause eye problems if the nerves that lead to the eyes or the part of the brain that controls eye movements are damaged or diseased. A vast number of problems can cause ocular symptoms, which can cause changes in the function, appearance or movement of the eye.
Pupillary Changes
Neurological damage often manifests with changes in the shape or size of the pupil. Pupils normally dilate in response to darkness and shrink in response to light. Damage to certain areas of the brain causes the pupil to remain dilated and unresponsive to light. Diseases like Holmes-Adie syndrome, where inflammation from viral or bacterial infections causes damage to parts of the brain that control eye movements, the pupil is larger than normal and constricts very slowly in response to light. Small, irregular pupils that dilate poorly, called Argyle-Robertson pupil, can occur in neurosyphilis, according to the Indiana University School of Optometry.
Blinking
Rapid blinking can occur in some types of childhood seizures. Absence seizures, also called petit mal seizures, cause facial movements or blinking that lasts 30 seconds or less, Children's Hospital Boston reports. These types of seizure can recur throughout the day and are often confused with behavioral problems. Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder that often starts between ages 7 to 10, affects 200,000 Americans, with males affected three to four times more often than females, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Tourette syndrome often causes brief, repetitive movements such as eye blinking.
Abnormal Movement
Jittery eyeballs or eyes that move rapidly from side to side or up and down are medically termed nystagmus. A number of neurological conditions can cause nystagmus, including head injuries, brain tumors and damage to the optic nerve. Nystagmus that develops in infancy is usually caused by an abnormality of the pathway between the eye and the brain, the American Optometric Association explains.
Vision Loss
Neuropathy of the optic nerve caused by pressure, inflammation or other disease process can lead to vision loss, which may be severe and permanent. Vision loss in children can often occur because of abnormalities in the brain rather than in the eyes. Cortical visual impairment, also called cerebral visual impairment, or CVI, causes 30 to 40 percent of vision loss in children, the American Foundation for the Blind reports.
References
- National Institute of Neurolgical Disorders and Stroke: Tourette Syndrome
- Children's Hospital Boston: Seizures and Epilepsy
- Indiana University School of Optometry: Pupillary Abnormalities
- American Optometric Association: Nystagmus
- American Foundation for the Blind: Statement on Cortical Visual Impairment
