Korean J Ophthalmol.  2014 Apr;28(2):159-163. 10.3341/kjo.2014.28.2.159.

Specific Visual Symptoms and Signs of Meares-Irlen Syndrome in Korean

• Chang M
• Kim SH
• Kim JY
• Cho YA

• KMID: 1792110
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3341/kjo.2014.28.2.159

Abstract

PURPOSE
To discriminate the visual symptoms and signs of Meares-Irlen syndrome (MIS) and nonspecific dyslexia from other ophthalmologic diseases (NODs).
METHODS
Forty-five patients were enrolled. Thirty four of the patients with MIS whose symptoms improved with tinted lenses comprised MIS group. The other 11 patients whose reading difficulty improved with other ocular therapy and did not require tinted lenses comprised NODs group. The main symptoms causing dyslexia and associated ocular diseases were evaluated.
RESULTS
The mean age was 17.9 +/- 9.5 years in MIS group, and 19.3 +/- 11.0 years in NODs group. In MIS group, the most common symptoms while reading were difficulty to move lines (85%), doubling (53%), and difficulty in bright condition (27%). On the other hand, blurring was the most common symptom in NODs group (45%). The associated ocular diseases in the two groups were refractive error (79% and 73%), dry eye (29% and 18%), and exophoria (6% and 27%), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Doubling, difficulty to move lines, and difficulty in bright condition while reading are main specific symptoms in MIS compared to nonspecific dyslexia from other ophthalmologic disorders.

Keyword

Diagnosis; Meares-Irlen syndrome; Tinted lenses

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Adult
Child
Color
Diagnosis, Differential
Dyslexia/*diagnosis
Eyeglasses
Female
Humans
Male
Night Vision
Perceptual Disorders/*diagnosis/therapy
Reading
Refractive Errors/diagnosis/therapy
Republic of Korea
Retrospective Studies
Syndrome
Vision Disorders/*diagnosis/therapy
Young Adult