Save Sight Institute

Neuro-ophthalmology

Studying vision problems related to the nervous system

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Our researchers aim to apply the latest scientific understanding to the clinical care of patients with neurological diseases affecting the eye.

Through collaborations with national and international partners, we seek to better understand the relationship between neurological conditions and visual impairment, specifically in the areas of optic neuropathy, concussion and trauma and neuro-inflammation.

Research areas

Optic neuropathy

Optic neuropathies cause loss of vision, often in younger patients. Optic disc drusen, for example, affects 2% of those with European heritage and can cause progressive loss of peripheral vision.

Autosomal dominant optic atrophy is an inherited condition that also causes slowly progressive loss of vision often starting to be noticeable in the third decade of life.

Optic disc drusen
  • Save Sight Institute is part of the International Optic Disc Drusen Consortium, being coordinated through Denmark. We now have several papers published formalising disc drusen diagnosis with OCT. These papers will be the benchmark for large prospective studies and treatment trials. 
Autosomal dominant optic atrophy
  • Save Sight Institute is the only site in the world participating in a new clinical trial of genetic therapy for this condition, in collaboration with PYC Therapeutics. We are also assessing for clinical biomarkers of disease progression that can then be used to track if these new clinical treatments are working.

Concussion and trauma

There is concern that repeated concussions, particularly as part of contact sport, can result in cognitive issues later in life.

Ophthalmic assessment of concussion

With this project we aim to look for ophthalmic biomarkers of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Neuro-inflammation

We're working with the neuro-inflammation group at the Brain and Mind Centre, to provide visual assessment and input into research on diseases of neuro-inflammation. 

Patients may present to Save Sight Institute with optic neuritis as the first manifestation of a more generalised neuro-inflammatory condition such as multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica or anti-MOG disease.

We provide visual information and collect required blood samples. We also contribute work on multifocal visual evoked potentials and MRI changes.

Optic neuritis

The dedicated Optic Neuritis clinic continues to study patients with Optic Neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve). Optic neuritis can be associated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other neurological inflammatory diseases. We are now working in conjunction with Dr Sudarshi Ramanathan and Prof Fabienne Brilot, looking at the rates of anti-MOG antibodies in clinically isolated syndrome and uveitis.

Giant cell arteritis

Our team continues to work on Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA), we have been assisting Dr Anthony Sammel (PhD) in his ongoing research in this area.

Visual snow syndrome

Visual snow syndrome is relatively common in the population but poorly understood. It causes people to see their entire visual world as if looking at a poorly tuned analogue TV.

  • Visual stimulate that triggers/alleviates visual snow
  • Detection of cortical excitability changes using magneto-encephalography

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a condition that affects women of child-bearing age, particularly those who have gained weight.

With increasing rates of obesity, this condition is becoming more common. IIH causes headaches, vision loss and cognitive changes, affecting women at the peak of their child-bearing and working years.

Audit of clinical response to weight loss

Formalised clinical trials with dedicated dieticians and intensive calorie restrictions have been shown to treat IIH. However, these resources are not available in a standard ophthalmic clinic. We are thus assessing simple, patient-driven weight loss efforts, to see if IIH can be managed and reversed.

  • Dr Michelle Bai

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South Block, Sydney Eye Hospital
8 Macquarie Street
Sydney, NSW 2000