Subclinical involvement of eye movements detected by video-based eye tracking in myasthenia gravis

Ocular abnormalities in myasthenia gravis (MG) are characterized by severely limited movements and rapid saccades. Data about eye motility of MG patients whose ocular movements are apparently normal are lacking. Our study assessed the eye movement parameters in MG patients without clinical eye motility dysfunctions and investigated the effects of neostigmine administration on the eye motility in these patients.

In this longitudinal study, we screened all patients diagnosed with MG referring to the Neurologic Clinic of the University of Catania between October 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021. Ten age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Patients underwent eye movement recording using the EyeLink1000 Plus® eye tracker at baseline and after 90 min from the intramuscular administration of neostigmine (0.5 mg).

A total of 14 MG patients with no clinical signs of ocular motor dysfunction (64.3% men, with a mean age of 50.4 ± 14.4 years) were enrolled. At baseline, saccades in MG patients showed slower velocities and longer latencies compared to controls. Moreover, the fatigue test induced a reduction in saccadic velocity and an increase in latencies. After neostigmine administration, the ocular motility analysis showed shorter saccadic latencies and a significant improvement of velocities.

Eye motility is impaired even in MG patients with no clinical evidence of ocular movement disturbance. Video-based eye tracking may detect subclinical involvement of eye movements in patients with MG.