ISCEV and IPS guideline for the full-field stimulus test (FST).

The full-field stimulus test (FST) is a psychophysical technique designed for the measurement of visual function in low vision. The method involves the use of a ganzfeld stimulator, as used in routine full-field electroretinography, to deliver full-field flashes of light. This guideline was developed jointly by the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV) and Imaging and Perimetry Society (IPS) in order to provide technical information, promote consistency of testing and reporting, and encourage convergence of methods for FST. It is intended to aid practitioners and guide the formulation of FST protocols, with a view to future standardisation.

Co-management of patients with hypertension.

Information provided by doctors of optometry to the primary care providers of patients with hypertension provides one of the few objective means of assessing the status of these patients. The optometrist may also be the first to suspect primary or secondary hypertension in the course of a comprehensive eye examination. In this paper the pathophysiology of essential, malignant, and secondary hypertension is reviewed. The treatment and management of the systemic and ocular effects of hypertension are discussed along with the pivotal role that doctors of optometry play in co-managing patients with hypertension.

Optic nerve trauma.

Trauma to the optic nerve may be direct, such as from a penetrating object, or indirect, which may result despite lack of direct contact of an object with the nerve. Although indirect injury initially causes no change in the appearance of the nerve head, within a matter of weeks optic atrophy will be manifest. The pathophysiology of nerve damage is incompletely understood. Management is controversial; steroid therapy has been advocated, as has surgical decompression of the nerve. Indirect injuries affecting the optic nerve may also result from torsional rotation of the globe (avulsion) and from subdural or subarachnoid hemorrhage (Terson's syndrome). There is no treatment for optic nerve avulsion; the unaffected eye should be protected with appropriate eyewear. Hemorrhaging in the retina and vitreous in Terson's syndrome should be monitored for resolution and risk of retinal detachment. Computed tomography may be necessary if subarachnoid or intracranial hemorrhages are suspected.

Abnormal gait in neurologic disease.

For most people, walking is an automatic, unconscious activity, characteristic of each individual. Patterns of gait can be reflective of a person's body structure, occupation, and personality, as well as health status. Most parents who watch an infant beginning to walk realize that locomotion is a highly complex, learned process. Years of training and practice are necessary for the sensory-motor system to become adept at automatically generating the motor commands necessary to permit walking without conscious effort. The characteristic adult pattern of walking does not emerge until up to 7 to 9 years of age, after the neuromusculoskeletal systems have undergone constant modification and development of improved neural controls. Important information pertinent to the patient's health status can be obtained by observing his or her manner of walking. This article will review abnormal gait patterns due to nervous system dysfunction. To help understand abnormal gaits, a brief review of the underlying components of walking is necessary.

Bone scintigraphy: a review of the procedure and its applications.

Bone scintigraphy (bone scanning) is a sensitive diagnostic tool used to detect the presence and extent of primary and secondary bone disease. Unlike X-rays, MRI, and CT scans, which focus primarily on structural anatomy, bone scans depict the dynamic physiologic response of bone to an insult. We review bone scanning principles, their indication in eye care, and demonstrations of their use in eye involvement from both primary and metastatic bone disease.

The optometric assessment of neurologic function.

BACKGROUND: As a direct extension of the nervous system, the eye may be involved in a number of nervous system diseases and disorders. METHODS: The previous ophthalmic and medical literature was evaluated and organized into an orderly review of the literature with recommendations for the examination of patients with neurologic dysfunctions. RESULTS: Many of the appropriate tests for the assessment of neurologic function can be readily performed by optometrists in the clinical setting. CONCLUSIONS. The screening of neurologic function by optometrists is important in many ways. The optometrist can gain significant insight in the ocular and systemic diagnoses associated with neurologic disease by utilizing the appropriate clinical tests and as a result then communicate more effectively with neurologists and other health care practitioners.