Neuro-Ophthalmology

The Neuro-Ophthalmology service at New England Eye Center specializes in the diagnosis and management of a wide range of neurological and medical disorders related to the visual pathways and ocular motor systems.

• optic neuritis–including multiple sclerosis
• papilledema –including pseudotumor cerebri
• ischemic optic neuropathy — including temporal arteritis and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
• inherited optic nerve diseases
• compressive optic neuropathy –including pituitary tumors
• cerebrovascular disease involving vision
• thyroid eye disease
• myasthenia gravis
• ocular motor nerve disorders – double vision
• gaze palsies and nystagmus
• blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm

Our diagnostic services include:

• Visual field testing—Humphrey and Goldmann
• Tensilon testing for myasthenia gravis
• Electrophysiology testing
  • Electroretinography—full field, pattern and multifocal
  • Visual evoked potential recordings—standard and multifocal
  • Electroculography
• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
• Through our affiliation with Tufts Medical Center, we have direct and immediate access to
  • MRI/MRA
  • CT scan
  • carotid noninvasive testing
  • cerebral angiography
  • color Doppler imaging of the eye and orbit

Therapeutic procedures available directly through our service include:

Optic nerve sheath decompression for papilledema
Botulinum injections for blepharospasm and hemifacial spasm

As part of the Ophthalmology Department at Tufts Medical Center, we work closely with our colleagues from other medical fields, including neurology, neurosurgery, and rheumatology.

We collaborate as a team to care for our patients should a higher level of care, such as hospital admission or surgery, be required.

Research:

We are actively involved in clinical research using the latest imaging techniques and electrophysiology to investigate new diagnostic modalities for patients with hereditary, ischemic, inflammatory, and compressive optic nerve diseases.

Neuro-Ophthalmology Specialists

• Thomas R. Hedges III, MD
• Yosbelkys Martin-Paez, MD
• Laurel N. Vuong, MD