Why Neuro-Ophthalmology is Crucial for Best Brain-Vision Connection

If you suffer from a neurological condition that is affecting your optic nerve, you’re at risk of developing a debilitating vision disturbance — potentially even blindness. Problems with the optic nerve, which are bundles of nerve fibers that send visual signals from each eye to your brain, are best evaluated and treated by a neuro-ophthalmologist, say the experts at Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute.

According to a study published in The Lancet Neurology, more than 3 billion people around the world are living with neurological problems. Conditions such as myasthenia gravis, intracranial hypertension, multiple sclerosis, movement disorders, thyroid eye disease, optic neuropathy, brain tumors and traumatic brain injuries, stroke and migraine may impact the function of the optic nerve.

“When the cause of a vision problem is not the eye itself, but involves the nervous system, my role is to determine what is happening with the optic pathway,” said neuro-ophthalmologist Maria Vera Silva, M.D., with Miami Neuroscience Institute. “Then we can best decide how to treat the problem so that vision can be improved or so that we can slow or stop the progression of vision decline.”

Maria Vera Silva, M.D., a neuro-ophthalmologist with Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute

Dr. Vera Silva received her medical degree from the University of Carabobo in Valencia, Venezuela. At IVSS Hospital Miguel Perez Carreño in Caracas, she completed an ophthalmology residency and was chief resident. Following a neurology residency at Cleveland Clinic Florida, where she was chief neurology resident, she completed a neuro-ophthalmology fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Health System.

The addition of Dr. Vera Silva and other specialists to the Institute is part of an ongoing expansion of the organization. With an arsenal of innovative treatments and equipment in the hands of top physicians, the Institute can provide sophisticated care close to home for even the most complex conditions.

Symptoms that warrant a trip to an eye specialist, your primary care physician or your neurologist include:

·       Blurry vision, particularly when it is unilateral (in one eye only)

·       Flashing lights or black spots in the visual field

·       Visual hallucinations

·       Sudden dimmed or darkened vision

·       Eye pain that is worsened by eye movement

If you are referred to a neuro-ophthalmologist you will undergo an extensive eye examination and neurological tests. You may also have imaging studies performed.

“The connection between the brain and the eyes is complex, but we are fortunate to be able to pinpoint the problem causing damage to the optic nerve. The treatment will depend upon the cause,” Dr. Vera Silva said. “Treatment can range from monitoring the situation, to infusions or oral medications to surgery.”

Optic nerve damage is largely unpreventable, she said, but many of the conditions that put a person at risk for cardiovascular disease could put you at higher risk for an optic nerve problem. That means it’s important to maintain a healthy weight, don’t smoke or use tobacco products, manage high blood pressure or high cholesterol and exercise regularly. See your physician as recommended if you have a neurological health condition.

Dr. Vera Silva is fluent in English, Spanish and Spanish-Creole, and sees patients at Miami Neuroscience Institute, 8950 North Kendall Dr., Suite 410W, Miami, FL 33176.