The optometric assessment of neurologic function

As a direct extension of the nervous system, the eye may be involved in a number of nervous system diseases and disorders.

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.

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.