Development of the Eye Motor System During the First 7 Months of Life in Infants With and Without a Family History of Cross-Eye

NCT00001143 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 00000500-EI-0005
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Little is known about the development of the ocular, or eye, motor system (the parts of the brain that control how the eyes move) in children. Recent technological and methodological advances now enable researchers to investigate the visual system and ocular motor system of infants, but few findings have been reported. This study hypothesizes that quantitative analysis of "at-risk" infants' eye movement systems can detect abnormalities that precede and predict the onset of strabismus, or cross-eye. We will collect data on the eye movements of a group of infants born between 36 and 44 weeks after conception. These infants will be enrolled between 4 and 24 weeks after birth and followed at 4-week (+/- 5 days) intervals until 28 weeks of age and then once a year until 3 years after birth. The infants will undergo a complete ophthalmic evaluation at each visit after they enroll. At all visits up to 28 weeks of age, they will also undergo analysis of eye movements. We also will monitor the development of ocular alignment and check to detect other visual system abnormalities. The study will provide basic knowledge about the cause of both normal and abnormal alignment of both eyes in infants in the first 28 weeks of life.

Conditions

Healthy; Strabismus

Keywords

Eye Movements; Strabismus; Infants; Development; Ocular Motor System

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

Participants must have a gestational age at birth between 36-42 weeks and birth weight greater than or equal to 2500 gms. Participants must have normal growth and development as assessed by general pediatric examination and growth charts, obtained historically from family and/or pediatrician. Participants must have a normal visual system by ophthalmic examination. Participants must be between the post-conceptual ages of 40 weeks and 70 weeks of age inclusive. Participants must be able to undergo a complete opthalmic evaluation. Participants must be able to undergo standard eye movement recording. Participants must not have any eye diseases. Participants must not have any neurologic disease, developmental delay, congenital genetic syndromes, congenital organ malformations, malformation syndromes or metabolic diseases. Participants must not be on any systemic or ocular medications.

Contact the study team to discuss eligibility requirements. They can help determine if this study is right for you.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Eye Institute (NEI): lead

Study Sites (1)

National Eye Institute (NEI)

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Shupert C, Fuchs AF. Development of conjugate human eye movements. Vision Res. 1988;28(5):585-96. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(88)90108-3.

  PMID: 3057727 BACKGROUND

• Norcia AM. Abnormal motion processing and binocularity: infantile esotropia as a model system for effects of early interruptions of binocularity. Eye (Lond). 1996;10 ( Pt 2):259-65. doi: 10.1038/eye.1996.55.

  PMID: 8776457 BACKGROUND

• Dobkins KR, Teller DY. Infant contrast detectors are selective for direction of motion. Vision Res. 1996 Jan;36(2):281-94. doi: 10.1016/0042-6989(95)00094-g.

  PMID: 8594826 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Strabismus

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Ocular Motility Disorders; Cranial Nerve Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Eye Diseases

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Sponsor Type: NIH

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 3, 1999
• First Posted: November 4, 1999
• Study Start: October 1, 1999
• Study Completion: October 1, 2002
• Last Updated: March 4, 2008

Record last verified: 2002-10

Locations

US (1)