On Friday 1st November 2019 at High Wycombe Hospital Lecture Theatre we held the Orthoptic Visual Processing Difficulties Clinical Interest day.
The day was excellently attended by both Orthoptists and Optometrists with brilliant feedback from the speakers as well as the attendees. We had an enthusiastic room full of professionals keen to share their knowledge and experiences to assist us to not only investigate our patients but to the best and most accurate of our ability.
The first speaker was Professor John Stein. Professor Stein is Emeritus Professor of Physiology at the University of Oxford. Although retired, he still teaches neuroscience and is chair of the Dyslexia Research Trust.
His research focusses on how vison controls movement in animals, patients with movement disorders, dyslexic children and antisocial offenders. He collaborates with Dr Sue Fowler (who accompanied him to the meeting) on visual dyslexia and he collaborates with the Institute of Food and Behaviour on the influence of nutrition on behaviour.
John was kind enough to present the the latest research and development with the magnocellular theory of dyslexia. Professor Stein informed us on how our magnocellular size and division (or lack thereof), impact the ability to read fluently. It was interesting that still after all these years FISH and omega 3 (long chains) are truly brain food leading perfectly in to Dr Alex Richardson’s explanation of how and why this is the case.
The next presenter, Dr Alex Richardson, is a research associate at the department of physiology, anatomy and genetics at the University of Oxford. She founded the Food and Behaviour Research Charity (FAB), she is a bestselling author and she is best known for her research in to how nutrition and particularly fatty acids can affect behaviour, learning and mood.
Alex talked to us about the modern diet and the best nutrition for behaviour, mental health and learning. Dr Richardson talked to us about how poor nutrition causes not only physical effect on how you look and the thickness and lustre of your hair and nails but your ability to concentrate and learn. Omega 3 is important in nerve conduction and synapses, a fundamental function of the brain. Dr Richardson stressed the importance of feeding children the correct food for learning and concentration.
The next presenter was Dr Jim Gilchrist. Dr Gilchrist is an Optometrist in Bradford and became a lecturer, then senior lecturer and eventually head of Optometry at the University of Bradford, a post from which he has recently retired. Dr Gilchrist was director of a specialist clinic for vision and reading difficulties and was one of the authors of the specific learning difficulties assessment standard committee guidelines which outline the necessity for vision specialists such as orthoptists and Optometrists to be involved in the assessment of children with spld. He advocates Orthoptists and Optometrists working together to ensure safe, evidence based practice with which I wholeheartedly agree. Dr Gilchrist highlights the specific areas that should be investigated before any other diagnosis including ensuring there is no other diagnosis that could cause the same / similar symptoms such as the need for glasses or accommodative or convergence insufficiencies. This is to assist with overcoming the negative propaganda regarding visual stress His main aim, along with ours is that all children have clear comfortable vision.
Our final presenter was Professor Arnold Wilkins. As you will remember, Arnold was kind enough to talk to us at our last clinical meeting and I invited him along to watch. He asked if he could present the latest research and this was an unexpected treat. Arnold is emeritus at the University of Essex, his research is on clinical vision, migraine, reading, text design and lighting. He provided us with an update on migraine with aura and the latest research in to links with colour and cortical hyperexcitability.
The day was sponsored by Professor David Thompson who was the Professor of Optometry and visual science at City University London. He lectured for 25 years and became associate Dean. He stepped away from this role on 2011 and runs a successful company, Thomson Software Solutions. Professor Thomson spoke to us about the emerging technology in assessing patients with VPD and saccadic difficulties. Thompson technologies are developing programs and equipment to enable efficient assessment of coloured overlays and an eye tracking tool where the inaccurate saccades can be documented. This is used with the computer based overlay visually shows the difference in the accuracy of the eye movement and has expandable uses.
Thank you to everyone who made this day so successful and enjoyable.
Written by
Kathryn Whitfield
