Mental illness in young adults who had strabismus as children

Psychological and functional outcomes of horizontal squint surgery in adults with no preoperative diplopia using Quality-of-Life AS-20 questionnaire

BACKGROUND

Corrective squint surgery has a significant psychological impact, affecting both the quality of life and mental health of patients. This study highlights the quantitative and subjective assessment of both the psychological and functional outcomes of squint surgery in adults having horizontal strabismus with no preoperative diplopia using a Quality-Of-Life Adult Strabismus 20 (QOL AS-20) questionnaire.

METHOD

The study is a retrospective cohort study on patients with uncomplicated, horizontal squint; with no vertical deviation and was conducted as part of a departmental clinical audit. It also aimed to challenge local clinical commissioning group (CCG) funding restrictions for what they regarded as a 'cosmetic procedure'. The QOL AS-20 questionnaires were completed before and 3 months after surgery and were analysed using the paired Wilcoxon signed rank t-test which showed significant improvement. A Freedom of Information Act request sought information on strabismus surgery funding restrictions from all CCGs to explore variations in perceptions throughout England.

RESULTS

28 patients were included in the study. The overall success of squint surgery was 67.5%. The median QOL AS-20 questionnaire overall score increased from 28.125 to 88.75 (p value<0.00001), functional subscale from 46.25 to 87.5 (p value<0.00001) and psychological subscale from 15 to 90 (p value<0.00001).

CONCLUSION

Squint surgery in non-diplopic adults with horizontal squint surgery should be regarded as restorative of normal anatomy from a pathological state rather than a cosmetic procedure.Restrictions to accessing this surgery may increase, especially during post-COVID-19. This patient-focused service evaluation demonstrates the substantial psychosocial benefits of such surgery, as evidenced through quality-of-life assessments.

Associations of strabismus surgery timing in childhood with mental health: a retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

To investigate the incidence of psychiatric diagnoses in relation to strabismus surgery timing among children with an early strabismus diagnosis who underwent surgery in childhood.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using TriNetX network data from 2003-2023 on patients diagnosed with strabismus at ≤5 years of age and having strabismus surgery before 18 years of age. Cohort 1 comprised patients who underwent initial strabismus surgery at ≤6 years of age; cohort 2, patients with initial surgical intervention at ≥7 years of age. Incidence of mental health diagnoses from 7 until 18 years of age were compared between cohorts.

RESULTS

In cohort 1, 59 of 688 patients (8.6%) of patients were diagnosed with at least 1 mental health disorder versus 123 of 693 patients (17.7%) in cohort 2 (risk ratio [RR] = 2.07; 95% CI, 1.546 to 2.77; P < 0.0001). Gender analysis showed that only males had a statistically significant increased rate of mental health diagnoses in cohort 2 versus cohort 1 (RR = 1.82; 95% CI, 1.284 to 2.577; P = 0.006). An increased risk for specific psychiatric diagnoses was found in cohort 2 versus cohort 1; anxiety disorders (RR = 2.19; 95% CI, 1.225-3.922; P = 0.0065), attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (RR = 2.18; 95% CI, 1.499-3.175; P < 0.0001), conduct disorders (RR = 2.81; 95% CI, 1.425-5.556; P = 0.0018), and adjustment disorders (RR = 2.07; 955% CI, 1.103-3.876; P = 0.0204). Depressive disorders showed no statistically significant difference between cohorts (RR = 1.00; 95% CI, 0.419-2.392; P = 0.9974).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with children having early strabismus surgery, those having surgery at a later age after an early strabismus diagnosis at ≤5 years of age may be more likely to experience a mental health disorder during childhood, although it is unclear whether such disorders are a result of delayed surgery or a driver of the decision to opt for surgery rather than continued conservative management.

Iris Reconstruction: A Surgeon's Guide

Objectives: The aim of this review paper is to summarise surgical options available for repairing iris defects at the iris-lens plane, focusing on suturing techniques, iridodialysis repair, and prosthetic iris devices. Methods: A thorough literature search was conducted using multiple databases, including Medline, PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and the Cochrane Library, from inception to February 2024. Relevant studies were screened based on predefined criteria, and primary references cited in selected articles were also reviewed. Results: Various surgical techniques were identified for iris defect repair. Suturing methods such as interrupted full-thickness sutures and the McCannel technique offer solutions for smaller defects, while iridodialysis repair techniques address detachment of the iris from the ciliary body. Prosthetic iris devices, including iris-lens diaphragm devices, endocapsular capsular tension ring-based devices, and customizable artificial iris implants, provide options for larger defects, each with its own advantages and limitations. Conclusions: Successful iris reconstruction requires a personalised approach considering factors like defect size, ocular comorbidities, and patient preference. Surgeons must possess a thorough understanding of available techniques and prosthetic devices to achieve optimal outcomes in terms of both visual function and, nonetheless, cosmetic appearance.

Mental Health Conditions Associated With Strabismus in a Diverse Cohort of US Adults

Importance

Greater understanding of the association between strabismus and mental health conditions across sociodemographic backgrounds may inform strategies to improve mental well-being in this population.

Objective

To describe the association of strabismus with mental health conditions in a diverse cohort of US adults.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study used data from the National Institutes of Health's All of Us Research Program, an ongoing program launched in 2015. The study included 3646 adults (aged ≥18 years) with strabismus and 3646 propensity score-matched controls. Statistical analysis was conducted from September 12, 2023, to January 29, 2024.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Adults with strabismus were propensity score matched on age, gender, race and ethnicity, income, educational level, and insurance status in a 1:1 ratio with adults without strabismus. The prevalences of anxiety, depression, substance use and addiction, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia spectrum disorder among adults with strabismus were compared with controls. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of mental health conditions with sociodemographic factors in each group.

Results

This study included 3646 adults with strabismus (median age, 67 years [IQR, 53-76 years]; 2017 women [55%]) and 3646 propensity score-matched controls (median age, 67 years [IQR, 53-76 years]; 2017 women [55%]). Individuals with strabismus had higher prevalences of anxiety (1153 [32%] vs 519 [14%]; difference, 17%; 95% CI, 15%-19%; P < .001), depression (1189 [33%] vs 514 [14%]; difference, 19%; 95% CI, 17%-20%; P < .001), substance use and addiction (116 [3%] vs 51 [1%]; difference, 2%; 95% CI, 1%-3%; P < .001), bipolar disorder (253 [7%] vs 101 [3%]; difference, 4%; 95% CI, 3%-5%; P < .001), and schizophrenia spectrum disorder (103 [3%] vs 36 [1%]; difference, 2%; 95% CI, 1%-3%; P < .001) compared with individuals without strabismus. Among adults with strabismus, higher odds of mental health conditions were associated with younger age (odds ratio [OR], 1.11 per 10-year decrease; 95% CI, 1.06-1.16 per 10-year decrease), female gender (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.41-1.85), Black or African American race and ethnicity (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.01-1.48), low income (OR, 3.06; 95% CI, 2.56-3.67), and high school education or less (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.34-1.85).

Conclusions and Relevance

In a diverse and nationwide cohort, adults with strabismus were more likely to have mental health conditions compared with adults without strabismus. Further investigation into the risk factors for poor mental health among adults with strabismus across sociodemographic backgrounds may offer novel opportunities for interventions to improve mental well-being in this population.

Strabismus Surgery for Psychosocial Reasons-A Literature Review

Introduction

Strabismus surgery may be undertaken for visual benefit, to improve or eliminate diplopia symptoms, or to restore or improve binocular single vision (BSV). In patients without visual symptoms or expected visual benefit, strabismus surgery may still be undertaken if the presence of strabismus causes the patient psychosocial symptoms. To evaluate strabismus surgery undertaken for psychosocial reasons, evidence of postoperative outcomes in this specific cohort is needed.

Methods

A systematic search of the literature was conducted (1946-2023) to identify evidence where postoperative outcomes were reported for adult patients (age 18 years and above) who had undergone strabismus surgery for psychosocial reasons.

Results

Sixty-nine papers were included in the literature review. Most sources of evidence included patients within heterogeneous cohorts of strabismus surgery outcomes, with a range of symptoms and differing surgical aims.

Discussion

In adults who underwent strabismus surgery for psychosocial reasons, improved postoperative ocular alignment and/or improved health related quality of life (HRQoL) were common. Strabismus surgery outcomes appeared to be measured satisfactorily at three months postoperatively. Additional surgical outcomes, including an expanded field of vision, unexpected BSV, improved binocular summation, improved task performance and improved eye movements have been reported, but not fully investigated. There was a lack of consensus on how postoperative success should be defined and measured. A core outcome set for strabismus has been suggested and there is potential to add to the available evidence by investigating which outcome measures are most relevant to those with strabismus and psychosocial symptoms. There is a growing need for robust evidence in this specific subgroup of patients due to a lack of evidence specifically reporting postoperative outcomes in adults with strabismus and psychosocial symptoms.

The causal effect of obesity on concomitant exotropia: A lifecourse Mendelian randomization study

Obesity is now a significant global public health issue. Limited understanding exists regarding the association between obesity and concomitant exotropia. Our objective was to identify the causal relationship between lifecourse obesity, including birth weight, childhood body mass index (BMI), and adult BMI, and the risk of concomitant exotropia. We used a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) strategy to examine the causal relationship with inverse-variance weighted method as the primary MR analysis. We carried out sensitivity analyses to evaluate the accuracy and robustness of our findings. Also, we performed reverse-direction MR analysis to eliminate the possibility of reverse causality. Childhood BMI, as opposed to birth weight or adult BMI, had a significant impact on the risk of concomitant exotropia (odds ratio = 1.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08-1.81, P = .01). This significance persisted even after accounting for birth weight and adult BMI using multivariable MR analysis (odds ratio = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.04-1.75, P = .02). There was no significant heterogeneity or pleiotropy observed in sensitivity analyses (P > .05). Multivariable MR analysis further confirmed the absence of pleiotropic effects of some risk factors including prematurity, maternal smoking around birth and refractive error. Reverse causality did not affect the causal relationship (beta = -0.0244, 95% CI: -0.0545 to 0.0056, P = .11). Genetic predisposition to higher childhood BMI was found to be causally linked to an increased risk of concomitant exotropia.

Visual and auditory attention defects in children with intermittent exotropia

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that children with intermittent exotropia (IXT) have a higher rate of psychiatric abnormalities as they grow up, such as attention deficit. This study explored visual and hearing attention among children with IXT, and evaluated its association with clinical characteristics and cognitive development.

METHODS

Forty-nine children with a diagnosis of IXT and 29 children with traditional development were recruited. The Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test (IVA-CPT) was used to measure the subjects' full-scale response control quotient (FSRCQ), full-scale attention quotient (FSAQ), auditory response control quotient (ARCQ), auditory attention quotient (AAQ), visual response control quotient (VRCQ), and visual attention quotient (VAQ). The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) was used to assess their cognitive function. The differences between the scores of children with IXT and normal controls were analyzed.

RESULTS

The results showed that the FSRCQ, FSAQ, ARCQ, AAQ, VRCQ, and VAQ of children with IXT were all lower than those of normal controls with the same age (P < 0.05). The level of attention was significantly correlated with the age of strabismus onset (P < 0.05), but not with the degree of strabismus, stereopsis, or fusion control score. In addition, audiovisual attention was correlated significantly with their cognitive development level. The random forest classifier prediction model showed that age of strabismus onset was an important predictor of attention.

CONCLUSION

Children with IXT have lower visual and auditory attention and control than their peers, and the age of onset of strabismus may be a major factor.

Surgical Interventions for Congenital Ptosis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 14 Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND

Several types of surgeries have been used in the treatment of congenital ptosis, but the optimal methods and materials for this treatment are unknown.

PURPOSE

The study aims to evaluate the comparative effectiveness and safety of various surgical methods and materials for treatment of congenital ptosis.

METHODS

We performed comprehensive searches of five databases, two clinical trial registries and one gray literature database from inception to January 2022 for related trials to include in this study. Meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of surgical methods and materials on the primary outcomes: margin reflex distance 1 (MRD1), palpebral fissure height (PFH), and degree of lagophthalmos; and secondary outcomes: undercorrection, entropion, corneal epithelial defects, wound dehiscence, recurrence, infection, and cosmetic outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 14 trials evaluating 909 eyes of 657 patients were included in our study. Compared with the levator plication, the frontalis sling significantly increased the MRD1 (MD = - 1.21; 95% CI [- 1.69, - 0.73]), and the levator resection significantly increased the PFH (MD = 1.30; 95% CI [0.27, 2.33]). For the frontalis sling surgical patterns, the fox pentagon was significantly better than the double triangle at improving the degree of lagophthalmos (MD = 0.70; 95% CI [0.32, 1.08]), while the opened pattern provided statistically better cosmetic outcome than the closed frontalis sling. Analysis of surgical material showed that absorbable sutures significantly increased the MRD1 (MD = 1.16; 95% CI [0.60, 1.72]) compared to non-absorbable sutures when used in levator plication; frontalis sling surgeries performed with silicon rods significantly increased the PFH (MD = 0.88; 95% CI [0.29, 1.47]) compared to those performed with Gore-Tex strips, while autogenous fascia lata provided statistically better aesthetic outcome for lid height symmetry and contour.

CONCLUSION

Different surgical methods and materials appear to affect different aspects of the congenital ptosis treatment outcome.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Global research of artificial intelligence in strabismus: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose

To analyze the global publications on artificial intelligence (AI) in strabismus using a bibliometric approach.

Methods

The Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database was used to retrieve all of the publications on AI in strabismus from 2002 to 2023. We analyzed the publication and citation trend and identified highly-cited articles, prolific countries, institutions, authors and journals, relevant research domains and keywords. VOSviewer (software) and Bibliometrix (package) were used for data analysis and visualization.

Results

By analyzing a total of 146 relevant publications, this study found an overall increasing trend in the number of annual publications and citations in the last decade. USA was the most productive country with the closest international cooperation. The top 3 research domains were Ophthalmology, Engineering Biomedical and Optics. Journal of AAPOS was the most productive journal in this field. The keywords analysis showed that "deep learning" and "machine learning" may be the hotspots in the future.

Conclusion

In recent years, research on the application of AI in strabismus has made remarkable progress. The future trends will be toward optimized technology and algorithms. Our findings help researchers better understand the development of this field and provide valuable clues for future research directions.

Quality of life in intermittent exotropia for Korean children and their parents

BACKGROUND

Patients with strabismus are more likely to have mental health problems, including high rates of depressive symptoms and social phobia. Intermittent exotropia (IXT) typically occurs in early childhood and is more common in Asian populations. We aim to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) concerns in children with intermittent exotropia (IXT) using the Intermittent Exotropia Questionaire (IXTQ), and their associations with the clinical severity of IXT and the parents' HRQOL concerns.

METHODS

IXT, defined as both distance and near exodeviation ≥ 10 prism diopters were eligible for inclusion. The final IXTQ score is calculated using the mean score for all items, and ranges from 0 (worst HRQOL) to 100 (best HRQOL). The correlations of child IXTQ scores with their deviation angle and stereoacuity were measured, as were those with their parent's IXTQ scores.

RESULTS

One hundred twenty-two children with IXT (aged 5-17 years) and one parent for each child completed the child and parent IXTQ, respectively. The greatest HRQOL concern for each child with IXT and their parent was "Worry about eyes" (frequency 88%, score 35.0 ± 27.8). Lower child IXTQ scores were associated with a larger distance (r = 0.24, p = 0.007) and near deviation angle (r = 0.2, p = 0.026). "It bothers me because I have to wait for my eyes to clear up" and "Waiting for their eyes to clear up" were more common in children with a larger deviation angle (both p < 0.05). The parent IXTQ scores (52.1 ± 25.3) were lower than the child ones (79.7 ± 15.8) and showed a positive correlation with child IXTQ scores (r = 0.26, p = 0.004). Lower parent IXTQ scores were associated with poor distance stereoacuity (r = 0.23, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The HRQOL of IXT children was positively related to that of their parents. A larger deviation angle and worse distance stereoacuity function may predict more-negative impacts on children and their parents, respectively.

Strabismus and Pediatric Psychiatric Illness: A Literature Review

PURPOSE

This literature review aims to investigate the potential association between strabismus and mental illness among children.

MATERIALS

The search was conducted in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases using a wide range of search terms related to strabismus, mental disorders, psychiatric illness, childhood, and adolescence.

RESULTS

Eleven published studies were included in this review. The findings from this review suggest an association between strabismus and mental illness. Negative attitudes and social bias against children with strabismus were also noted.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings should alert healthcare providers to counsel children and their caregivers regarding the risk for mood disorders in children with strabismus and to consider mental health screening and referral as needed.

Refractive errors and ocular findings in children and adolescents with mental disorders: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

An increasing prevalence of mental disorders (MDs) has been reported among children and adolescents. However, only few studies have conducted ocular examinations, including those on refractive status, in these groups of patients. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the refractive status and ocular findings in children and adolescents with MDs compared with matched controls with similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

METHODS

A total of 178 participants with MDs and 200 controls were recruited between April 2021 and May 2022. All the children and adolescents underwent cycloplegic or noncycloplegic autorefraction and retinoscopy, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and dilated fundus examinations. Ocular alignment was assessed using Hirschberg, Krimsky, or prism cover tests. The prevalence of refractive errors and ocular findings was the main outcome.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven percent of patients with MDs and 8% of controls had ocular findings, the most common of which were conjunctivitis, keratitis, and trichiasis. For refractive status, 70% (124/178) of patients with MDs had myopia ≤-1.00 DS, and 2% (4/178) had hyperopia ≥+2.00 DS. In the control group, 70% (140/200) of patients had myopia ≤-1.00 DS, and 1% (2/200) had hyperopia ≥+2.00 DS. No differences were observed between the MD and control groups. However, the patients in the MD group (14.25±2.69 years) were significantly more susceptible to strabismus (P<0.05) and amblyopia (P<0.01) than those in the control group (13.65±3.04 years). There was a substantial difference between the two groups in the time spent on screen-based devices (P<0.001). Furthermore, mental retardation (OR=3.286, P<0.01), emotional disorders (OR=2.003, P<0.01), and adjustment disorders (OR=2.629, P<0.01) were associated with an increased risk of amblyopia. Depression (OR =1.362, P<0.01) and emotional disorders (OR=2.205, P<0.01) were associated with a higher prevalence of strabismus.

CONCLUSION

Ophthalmological examinations should be performed in children and adolescents with MDs because MDs are associated with a high prevalence of refractive errors and ocular diseases. Detection and intervention of ocular and refractive findings in children and adolescents with MDs are necessary and effective in alleviating the economic burden in healthcare and improving individuals' quality of life.

Psychosocial and mental health disorders among a population-based, case-control cohort of patients with congenital upper eyelid ptosis

BACKGROUND/AIM

Recent studies have demonstrated adverse psychosocial and mental health disorders among children with ocular disorders. The mental health burden of children with simple congenital ptosis, however, is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the psychosocial and mental health findings of children with simple congenital ptosis with controls.

METHODS

The medical records of all children (<19 years) diagnosed with simple congenital ptosis from 1 January 1965 through 31 December 2004 while residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota were retrospectively reviewed for psychosocial and mental health morbidity. One-to-one randomly selected age-matched and gender-matched controls from the same population were similarly reviewed.

RESULTS

81 children with ptosis were diagnosed at a mean age of 3.2 years (range, 1 month-16 years), 35 (43.2%) of whom were girls. An adverse psychosocial development was diagnosed in 41 (50.6%) patients with simple congenital ptosis monitored to a mean age of 21.4 years, compared with 26 (32.5%) controls (p=0.02). A mental illness was diagnosed in 31 (38.3%) patients with ptosis compared with 16 (20%) controls (p=0.01). Children with ptosis were 2.5 times more likely than controls to develop a mental illness and 2.1 times more likely to develop a psychosocial maladjustment. Patients with ptosis were also significantly more likely to have more mental health disorders (p=0.02) and a longer duration of psychotropic medication use (p=0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Children diagnosed with simple congenital ptosis in this population had significantly greater psychosocial and mental health morbidity compared with controls. Children with ptosis may benefit from early psychosocial intervention.

Association between ADHD and vision problems. A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM

To conduct the first systematic review and meta-analysis assessing whether attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with disorders of the eye, and/or altered measures of visual function.

METHOD

Based on a pre-registered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42021256352), we searched PubMed, Web of Knowledge/Science, Ovid Medline, Embase and APA PsycINFO up to 16th November 2021, with no language/type of document restrictions. We included observational studies reporting at least one measure of vision in people of any age meeting DSM/ICD criteria for ADHD and in people without ADHD; or the prevalence of ADHD in people with and without vision disorders. Study quality was assessed with the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS). Random effects meta-analyses were used for data synthesis.

RESULTS

We included 42 studies in the narrative synthesis and 35 studies in the meta-analyses (3,250,905 participants). We found meta-analytic evidence of increased risk of astigmatism (OR = 1.79 [CI: 1.50, 2.14]), hyperopia and hypermetropia (OR = 1.79 [CI: 1.66, 1.94]), strabismus (OR = 1.93 [CI: 1.75, 2.12]), unspecified vision problems (OR = 1.94 [CI: 1.38, 2.73]) and reduced near point of convergence (OR = 5.02 [CI: 1.78, 14.11]); increased lag (Hedge's g = 0.63 [CI: 0.30, 0.96]) and variability (Hedge's g = 0.40 [CI: 0.17, 0.64]) of the accommodative response; and increased self-reported vision problems (Hedge's g = 0.63 [CI: 0.44, 0.82]) in people with ADHD compared to those without ADHD (with no significant heterogeneity). We also found meta-analytic evidence of no differences between people with and without ADHD on retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (Hedge's g = -0.19 [CI: -0.41, 0.02]) and refractive error (Hedge's g = 0.08 [CI: -0.26, 0.42]) (with no significant heterogeneity).

DISCUSSION

ADHD is associated with some self-reported and objectively ascertained functional vision problems, but not with structural alterations of the eye. Further studies should clarify the causal relationship, if any, between ADHD and problems of vision.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration: CRD42021256352.

Impact of Vision Impairment and Ocular Morbidity and Their Treatment on Depression and Anxiety in Children: A Systematic Review

TOPIC

This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes existing evidence to establish whether vision impairment, ocular morbidity, and their treatment are associated with depression and anxiety in children.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Understanding and quantifying these associations support early detection and management of mental health symptoms in children with vision impairment and ocular morbidity. Additionally, this review provides evidence in favor of insurance coverage for timely strabismus surgery.

METHODS

We searched 9 electronic databases from inception through February 18, 2021, including observational and interventional studies assessing whether vision impairment, ocular morbidity, or both and their treatment are associated with depression, anxiety, or both in children. We used narrative synthesis and meta-analysis with the residual maximum likelihood method. A protocol was registered and published on The International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (identifier: CRD42021233323).

RESULTS

Among 28 992 studies, 28 956 studies (99.9%) were excluded as duplicates or unrelated content. Among 36 remaining studies, 21 studies (58.3%) were observational studies concerning vision impairment, 8 studies (22.2%) were observational studies concerning strabismus, and 7 studies (19.4%) were interventional studies. Vision impaired children demonstrated significantly higher scores of depression (standard mean difference [SMD], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26-0.89; 11 studies) and anxiety (SMD, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.83; 14 studies) than normally sighted children. In particular, children with myopia demonstrated higher scores of depression (SMD, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.36-0.81; 6 studies) than normally sighted children. Strabismus surgery significantly improved symptoms of depression (SMD, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.12-1.06; 3 studies) and anxiety (SMD, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.25-1.14; 4 studies) in children.

CONCLUSION

Among children, vision impairment is associated with greater symptoms of depression and anxiety. Surgical treatment of strabismus improved these symptoms. Further randomized controlled trials exploring the impact of public health measures for myopia correction on mental health in children are needed. Scaling up access to strabismus surgery could improve the mental health of affected children.

Association of Pediatric Strabismus and Functional Impairment: A Cross-sectional Nationwide Analysis

PURPOSE

To examine the association of childhood strabismus with functional limitation to identify particular domains of impairment.

METHODS

The authors analyzed 201 children ages 5 to 17 years with strabismus enrolled in the 1996-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, representative annual surveys of the U.S.

POPULATION

Functional impairment was assessed using the Columbia Impairment Scale (CIS), a validated measure of behavioral and psychosocial functioning. A CIS score of 16 or greater defined clinically significant functional impairment. Multivariate regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, ethnicity, household income, geographic location, and insurance type were constructed to examine the association of strabismus diagnosis with overall impairment and individual domains of function.

RESULTS

Children diagnosed as having strabismus had higher rates of clinically significant functional impairment compared to those without strabismus (15.1% vs 9.1%, adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.82 [1.11 to 2.97], P = .02). Moreover, strabismus diagnosis was associated with higher rates of problems with getting along with their mother (1.70 [1.21 to 2.40], P = .003) and father (1.66 [1.16 to 2.38], P = .006), getting along with other children (1.67 [1.16 to 2.40], P = .006), behavior at home (1.94 [1.37 to 2.74], P = .0002), staying out of trouble (1.52 [1.04 to 2.23], P = .03), nervousness (1.49 [1.05 to 2.11], P = .02), and getting involved with sports and hobbies (1.55 [1.03 to 2.34], P = .04).

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood strabismus is associated with 1.8-fold greater odds of clinically significant functional impairment, with greater dysfunction in specific relationship and behavioral domains. Functional burden may be an important consideration in management decisions. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 20XX;X(X):XX-XX.].

Psychosocial Improvements in Children and Their Parents Following Strabismus Surgery

PURPOSE

To evaluate the psychosocial effects of strabismus surgery, the authors investigated the psychiatric symptoms and quality of life of children with strabismus and their parents.

METHODS

Children with strabismus between 6 and 18 years old (n = 39) and their parents (n = 39) were included. Psychiatric problems and the health-related quality of life were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, respectively. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children and Beck Anxiety Inventory were administered to children and parents, respectively. All assessments were conducted before and 3 months after strabismus surgery.

RESULTS

Compared with preoperative assessments, children with strabismus had significantly fewer psychiatric problems and a better quality of life after the surgery (P < .001). Following surgery, decreased symptom levels of anxiety scores were also obtained from children and their parents (P < .001). The amount of ocular realignment was directly correlated with improvement in social and attention problems among children (r = 0.354 and r = 0.324, respectively; P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Successful strabismus surgery has positive effects on psychosocial functioning and quality of life in children and their families. Surgical interventions seem beneficial for the management of strabismus in improving both physical and mental health. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2022;59(4):261-268.].

Endocapsular artificial iris implantation for iris defects: Reducing symptoms, restoring visual function and improving cosmesis

Background

To investigate repair of iris defects by endocapsular implantation of an artificial iris, in relation to visual outcomes, safety profile and patient satisfaction.

Methods

Retrospective, consecutive case series from Greenlane tertiary teaching hospital and Eye Institute, Auckland, New Zealand. Medical records of patients implanted with an endocapsular artificial iris were reviewed and followed for minimum 3 months. Patient characteristics, surgical management, clinical outcomes and subjective responses were recorded.

Results

Nineteen artificial irises were implanted in 18 patients. Etiologies were iris melanotic lesion excision (73.7%), trauma (10.5%), congenital aniridia (10.5%) and Urrets‐Zavalia syndrome (5.3%). During postoperative follow‐up [14.1 ± 12.4 months (range: 3 to 59 months)], best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and intraocular pressure (IOP) did not change significantly [BCVA, 0.23 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) (20/32 Snellen) preoperatively vs. 0.18 logMAR postoperatively (20/25 Snellen) (Z = −0.222, p = 0.824); IOP, 15 mmHg preoperatively vs. 17 mmHg postoperatively (Z = 1.377, p = 0.1447)]. Mild or self‐limiting complications included: elevated IOP (42.1%), cystoid macular oedema (15.8%); persisting postoperative uveitis (15.8%) and minor vaulting of the prosthesis (15.7%). Moderate or severe complications included significant vaulting of prosthesis requiring surgical revision (5.3%) and a single eye (5.3%) with trabeculectomy and corneal graft failure. 94.4% of patients were very satisfied with the cosmesis and would be highly likely to have the procedure again.

Conclusions

This study confirms that endocapsular insertion of an artificial iris is typically associated with good functional and cosmetic results and a relatively low risk of significant complications.

Association of Strabismus With Mood Disorders, Schizophrenia, and Anxiety Disorders Among Children

Importance

Children with strabismus have poorer functional vision and decreased quality of life than those without strabismus.

Objective

To evaluate the association between strabismus and mental illness among children.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study analyzed claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse, a longitudinal deidentified commercial insurance claims database, from 12 005 189 patients enrolled in the health plan between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2017. Eligibility criteria included age younger than 19 years at the time of strabismus diagnosis, enrollment in the health plan between 2007 and 2018, and having at least 1 strabismus claim based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Controls were children in the same database with no eye disease codes other than refractive error reported. Demographic characteristics and mental illness claims were compared. Statistical analysis was conducted from December 1, 2018, to July 31, 2021.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Presence of mental illness claims.

Results

Among the 12 005 189 patients (6 095 523 boys [50.8%]; mean [SD] age, 8.0 [5.9] years) in the study, adjusted odds ratios for the association of mental illnesses with strabismus were 2.01 (95% CI, 1.99-2.04) for anxiety disorder, 1.83 (95% CI, 1.76-1.90) for schizophrenia, 1.64 (95% CI, 1.59-1.70) for bipolar disorder, 1.61 (95% CI, 1.59-1.63) for depressive disorder, and 0.99 (95% CI, 0.97-1.02) for substance use disorder. There was a moderate association between each strabismus type (esotropia, exotropia, and hypertropia) and anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depressive disorder; odds ratios ranged from 1.23 (95% CI, 1.17-1.29) for the association between esotropia and bipolar disorder to 2.70 (95% CI, 2.66-2.74) for the association between exotropia and anxiety disorder.

Conclusions and Relevance

This cross-sectional study suggests that there was a moderate association between strabismus and anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depressive disorder but not substance use disorder. Recognizing that these associations exist should encourage mental illness screening and treatment for patients with strabismus.

Association of Mood Disorders, Substance Abuse, and Anxiety Disorders in Children and Teens With Serious Structural Eye Diseases

PURPOSE

We sought to evaluate the association between 5 eye diseases (including glaucoma, cataract, congenital optic nerve disease, congenital retinal disease, and blindness/low vision) and mental illness in a pediatric population.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A de-identified commercial insurance claims database, OptumLabs Data Warehouse, between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2018, was used. Children and teens less than 19 years of age at the time of eye diagnosis were included. Demographics and mental illness claims were compared, looking at the association of mental illness and eye disease claims.

RESULTS

A total of 11,832,850 children and teens were included in this study with mean age of 8.04 ± 5.94 years at the first claim. Of the patients with at least 1 of the 5 eye diseases (n = 180,297), 30.5% had glaucoma (n = 54,954), 9.5% had cataract (n = 17,214), 21.4% had congenital optic nerve disease (n = 38,555), 26.9% had congenital retinal disease (n = 48,562), and 25.9% had blindness or low vision (n = 46,778). There was a statistically significant association, after adjusting for confounding variables, between at least 1 of the 5 eye diseases and schizophrenia disorder (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.48-1.61, P < .001), anxiety disorder (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.43-1.48, P < .001), depressive disorder (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.25-1.29, P < .001), and bipolar disorder (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.21-1.31, P < .001), but a reversed association with substance use disorder (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.86-0.90, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

We found associations between eye disease in children and teens and mental illness. Understanding these relationships may improve mental illness screening and treatment in the pediatric population.

High Risk for Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder in Children with Strabismus: A Nationwide Cohort Study from the National Health Insurance Research Database

Strabismus is associated with amblyopia and a lower quality of life. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common among children and adolescents, and influences their academic, vocational, and social life. Previous studies have suggested an association between strabismus and ADHD. Using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database between 2000 and 2010, we performed a large-scale cohort study comparing the incidence, risk factors, and severity of ADHD in children with and without strabismus. A total of 2049 patients <18 years old with newly diagnosed strabismus (esotropia: 404; exotropia: 1645) were identified, and 8196 age- and sex-matched controls without strabismus were also included. After an average of 6.5 ± 2.9 years of follow-up, the incidence of ADHD per 1000 person-years was 5.39 in the strabismus group (esotropia: 9.93; exotropia: 4.11) and 3.23 in the control group. The cumulative incidence of ADHD was significantly greater in the esotropia (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.36-3.06; p = 0.0007) and exotropia groups (HR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.03-2.03; p = 0.038) than in the controls. Patients with strabismus had more comorbidities than those without (p < 0.05). In summary, this large-scale study found a higher cumulative incidence of ADHD in patients with strabismus, especially in those with esotropia.

Association of mental disorders and strabismus among South Korean children and adolescents: a nationwide population-based study

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to determine the association between mental disorders and strabismus in South Korean children and adolescents.

METHODS

Using data from the Korean National Health Claims Database from 2011 to 2017, the prevalence rates of mental illnesses and odds ratio were calculated. Children and adolescents (1-19 years) with strabismus and their randomly selected nonstrabismic age- and sex-matched controls (1:1) were enrolled. The odds ratios were adjusted for preterm birth, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation. Subgroup analysis was performed according to sex and the type of strabismus.

RESULTS

A total of 327,076 subjects (male, 158,597; female, 168,479) identified as strabismus patients were enrolled. After adjusting for preterm birth, cerebral palsy, and mental retardation, the corrected odds ratio of overall mental illness was 1.10 (95% CI, 1.08-1.12) for the strabismus group compared to the controls: 1.7 (95% CI, 1.62-1.78) for developmental disorder, 1.36 (95% CI, 1.27-1.45) for pervasive developmental disorder (autism), 1.14 (95% CI, 1.10-1.17) for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 1.15 (95% CI, 1.05-1.27) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), 1.08 (95% CI, 1.05-1.11) for pediatric behavioral and emotional disorders, 0.93 (95% CI, 0.88-0.99) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82-0.89) for tic disorder.

CONCLUSION

South Korean children and adolescents with strabismus had a higher relative risk for various types of mental disorders such as a developmental disorder, autism, ADHD, and OCD than the controls, whereas they had a relatively lower risk of tic disorder.

Interventions for intermittent exotropia

BACKGROUND

The clinical management of intermittent exotropia (X(T)) has been discussed extensively in the literature, yet there remains a lack of clarity regarding indications for intervention, the most effective form of treatment, and whether there is an optimal time in the evolution of the disease at which any given treatment should be carried out.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to analyze the effects of various surgical and non-surgical treatments in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of participants with intermittent exotropia, and to report intervention criteria and determine whether the treatment effect varies by age and subtype of X(T).

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2021, Issue 1), which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register; Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid Embase; Latin American and Caribbean Health Science Information database (LILACS); the ISRCTN registry; ClinicalTrials.gov, and the WHO ICTRP. The date of the search was 20 January 2021. We performed manual searches of the British Orthoptic Journal up to 2002, and the proceedings of the European Strabismological Association (ESA), International Strabismological Association (ISA), and American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus meeting (AAPOS) up to 2001.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included RCTs of any surgical or non-surgical treatment for intermittent exotropia.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We followed standard Cochrane methodology.

MAIN RESULTS

We included six RCTs, four of which took place in the United States, and the remaining two in Asia (Turkey, India). A total of 890 participants with basic or distance X(T) were included, most of whom were children aged 12 months to 10 years. Three of these six studies were from the 2013 version of this review. Overall, the included studies had a high risk of performance bias as masking of participants and personnel administering treatment was not possible. Two RCTs compared bilateral lateral rectus recession versus unilateral lateral rectus recession with medial rectus resection, but only one RCT (n = 197) reported on the primary outcomes of this review. Bilateral lateral rectus recession likely results in little difference in motor alignment at near (MD 1.00, 95% CI -2.69 to 4.69) and distance (MD 2.00, 95% CI -1.22 to 5.22) fixation as measured in pupillary distance using PACT (moderate-certainty evidence). Bilateral lateral rectus recession may result in little to no difference in stereoacuity at near fixation (risk ratio (RR) 0.77, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.71), adverse events (RR 7.36, 95% CI 0.39 to 140.65), or quality of life measures (low-certainty evidence). We conducted a meta-analysis of two RCTs comparing patching (n = 249) with active observation (n = 252), but were unable to conduct further meta-analyses due to the clinical and methodological heterogeneity in the remaining trials. We found evidence that patching was clinically more effective than active observation in improving motor alignment at near (mean difference (MD) -2.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) -4.02 to -0.44) and distance (MD -2.00, 95% CI -3.40 to -0.61) fixation as measured by prism and alternate cover test (PACT) at six months (high-certainty evidence). The evidence suggests that patching results in little to no difference in stereoacuity at near fixation (MD 0.00, 95% CI -0.07 to 0.07) (low-certainty evidence). Stereoacuity at distance, motor fusion test, and quality of life measures were not reported. Adverse events were also not reported, but study authors explained that they were not anticipated due to the non-surgical nature of patching. One RCT (n = 38) compared prism adaptation test with eye muscle surgery versus eye muscle surgery alone. No review outcomes were reported. One RCT (n = 60) compared lateral rectus recession and medial rectus plication versus lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection. Lateral rectus recession and medial rectus plication may not improve motor alignment at distance (MD 0.66, 95% CI -1.06 to 2.38) (low-certainty evidence). The evidence for the effect of lateral rectus recession and medial rectus plication on motor fusion test performance is very uncertain (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.48 to 1.74) (very low-certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Patching confers a clinical benefit in children aged 12 months to 10 years of age with basic- or distance-type X(T) compared with active observation. There is insufficient evidence to determine whether interventions such as bilateral lateral rectus recession versus unilateral lateral rectus recession with medial rectus resection; lateral rectus recession and medial rectus plication versus lateral rectus recession and medial rectus resection; and prism adaptation test prior to eye muscle surgery versus eye muscle surgery alone may confer any benefit.

Iris reconstruction: A perspective on the modern surgical armamentarium

The surgical reconstruction of eyes with iris defects is almost invariably complex and challenging. A number of prosthetic iris devices are available including large-incision, rigid diaphragm, aniridic intraocular lens style devices, small-incision devices incorporating a capsular ring, and flexible, customized, small-incision iris prostheses. The surgical techniques for rehabilitation are dictated by the configuration of the iris defect, the presence of concurrent ocular pathology, and the functional complaint of the patient. Successful rehabilitation requires careful surgical planning and appropriate patient selection. Nonetheless, endowed with the modern surgical armamentarium, the reconstructive surgeon may achieve significant functional and cosmetic improvement.

The impact of strabismus on psychosocial heath and quality of life: a systematic review

Strabismus can hinder an individual's ability to perform daily functions and negatively affect their well-being. I examine the impact strabismus has on psychosocial health and quality of life in children and adults and evaluate the challenges confronted by parents of children with strabismus. Numerous misconceptions exist regarding the impact strabismus has on overall health. Negative attitudes persist toward those affected, resulting in difficulties with self-image. Individuals with strabismus are at increased risk for both visual system and psychiatric disorders. Misinformation regarding available treatment options for children and adults with strabismus continues to exist, resulting in decreased access to care. Improved education of health care providers can increase appropriate referrals and initiation of treatment. Treatment of strabismus is not merely cosmetic and has the potential to improve psychosocial health and quality of life for children and adults with and without diplopia.

Machine Learning Applications in Pediatric Ophthalmology

Purpose: To describe emerging applications of machine learning (ML) in pediatric ophthalmology with an emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of disorders affecting visual development. Methods: Literature review of studies applying ML algorithms to problems in pediatric ophthalmology. Results: At present, the ML literature emphasizes applications in retinopathy of prematurity. However, there are increasing efforts to apply ML techniques in the diagnosis of amblyogenic conditions such as pediatric cataracts, strabismus, and high refractive error. Conclusions: A greater understanding of the principles governing ML will enable pediatric eye care providers to apply the methodology to unexplored challenges within the subspecialty.

The Underestimated Role of Refractive Error (Hyperopia, Myopia, and Astigmatism) and Strabismus in Children With ADHD

Objective: To examine the association of refractive error (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) and strabismus with ADHD. Method: Based on data from the large, representative, epidemiological sample of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) study (N = 13,488), the associations of myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and strabismus with ADHD were examined, with and without consideration of other common ADHD risk factors. Results: In single logistic regression models, all examined forms of refractive error and strabismus showed an association with ADHD. After controlling for confounding variables, results remained stable and showed an increased risk for ADHD in children with hyperopia, astigmatism, and strabismus compared with the control group. Only the association between myopia and ADHD in children was not significant. Conclusion: Hyperopia, astigmatism, and strabismus seem to be independently associated with ADHD. Health care professionals in different medical fields should consider this association to adequately diagnose and treat affected children.

Effects of corrective strabismus surgery on social anxiety and self-consciousness in adults

PURPOSE

To report the results of a questionnaire-based interventional study to evaluate the effects of strabismus surgery on private self-consciousness, public self-consciousness, and social anxiety using a validated self-consciousness survey instrument.

METHODS

Patients who underwent strabismus surgery completed a demographics and a self-consciousness scale form both pre- and postoperatively. The total and subscale (private self-consciousness, public self-consciousness, and social anxiety) summative scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with statistically significant relationships defined as P < 0.05. Total and subscale summative scores were analyzed as such and by strabismus type, years of education, and marital status.

RESULTS

Overall improvement was found postoperatively in total scores (P = 0.012), public self-consciousness scores (P = 0.009), and social anxiety scores (P = 0.028). Although improvement was noted for the private self-consciousness subscale (P = 0.188), it did not reach statistical significance. Subdivided according to strabismic and demographic subgroups, significant improvement was only noted in esotropic patients, college graduates, married/living partner/widowed patients, and separated/divorced patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that beyond functional and cosmetic improvements, strabismus surgery can result in improved public self-consciousness and social anxiety, with greatest effect noted in esotropic, college graduates, and nonsingle patients.

[Neglected childhood strabismus: Epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects]

INTRODUCTION

In an environment where strabismus is poorly understood and management centers rare, we studied the epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of neglected childhood strabismus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective study carried out from March 1st, 2013 to September 30, 2018. Neglected childhood strabismus was defined as strabismus occurring in the first 5 years of life, for which the patient was over 7-years-old at the time of first consultation. The variables studied were age at first consultation, gender, age of onset, type of strabismus, etiology of strabismus, angle of deviation and rate of surgery.

RESULTS

We found 113 cases of neglected childhood strabismus among the 430 cases of strabismus seen during the study period. There were more females (n=64) than males. The mean age was 17.7±10.5 years. There were 73 exotropias (64.6 %). The mean angle of deviation was 41.2±12.2PD. Strabismus was early in 70.8 % of cases. Innervational strabismus accounted for 86.7 % of cases. The most frequent refractive error was hyperopic astigmatism (55.3 %). Of the 45 patients who were seen again after full-time wear of their full cycloplegic correction, 2 were orthotropic. Surgery was performed in 60.5 % of cases. The average postoperative angle of deviation was 6.6±9.4PD.

CONCLUSION

Management of neglected childhood strabismus provides good results and should therefore be encouraged in order to improve the quality of life of affected patients.

Seasonality of births in horizontal strabismus: comparison with birth seasonality in schizophrenia and other disease conditions

Recent work has implicated one type of horizontal strabismus (exotropia) as a risk factor for schizophrenia. This new insight raises questions about a potential common developmental origin of the two diseases. Seasonality of births is well established for schizophrenia. Seasonal factors such as light exposure affect eye growth and can cause vision abnormalities, but little is known about seasonality of births in strabismus. We examined birth seasonality in people with horizontal strabismus in a retrospective study in Washoe County, Nevada, and re-examined similar previously obtained data from Osaka, Japan. We then compared seasonal patterns of births between strabismus, refractive error, schizophrenia and congenital toxoplasmosis. Patients with esotropia had a significant seasonality of births, with a deficit in March, then increasing to an excess in September, while patients with exotropia had a distinctly different pattern, with an excess of births in July, gradually decreasing to a deficit in November. These seasonalities were statistically significant with either χ2 or Kolmogorov-Smirnov-type statistics. The birth seasonality of esotropia resembled that for hyperopia, with an increase in amplitude, while the seasonality for myopia involved a phase-shift. There was no correlation between seasonality of births between strabismus and congenital toxoplasmosis. The pattern of an excess of summer births for people with exotropia was remarkably similar to the well-established birth seasonality of one schizophrenia subtype, the deficit syndrome, but not schizophrenia as a whole. This suggests a testable hypothesis: that exotropia may be a risk factor primarily for the deficit type of schizophrenia.

Strabismus Recognition Using Eye-Tracking Data and Convolutional Neural Networks

Strabismus is one of the most common vision diseases that would cause amblyopia and even permanent vision loss. Timely diagnosis is crucial for well treating strabismus. In contrast to manual diagnosis, automatic recognition can significantly reduce labor cost and increase diagnosis efficiency. In this paper, we propose to recognize strabismus using eye-tracking data and convolutional neural networks. In particular, an eye tracker is first exploited to record a subject's eye movements. A gaze deviation (GaDe) image is then proposed to characterize the subject's eye-tracking data according to the accuracies of gaze points. The GaDe image is fed to a convolutional neural network (CNN) that has been trained on a large image database called ImageNet. The outputs of the full connection layers of the CNN are used as the GaDe image's features for strabismus recognition. A dataset containing eye-tracking data of both strabismic subjects and normal subjects is established for experiments. Experimental results demonstrate that the natural image features can be well transferred to represent eye-tracking data, and strabismus can be effectively recognized by our proposed method.

Expression of schizophrenia biomarkers in extraocular muscles from patients with strabismus: an explanation for the link between exotropia and schizophrenia?

Recent studies have implicated exotropia as a risk factor for schizophrenia. We determined whether schizophrenia biomarkers have abnormal levels of expression in extraocular muscles from patients with strabismus and explored whether differences in gene expression between medial and lateral rectus muscles may explain the specific association of schizophrenia with exotropia but not esotropia. Samples from horizontal extraocular muscles were obtained during strabismus surgery and compared with age- and muscle type-matched normal muscles from organ donors. We used PCR arrays to identify differences in gene expression among 417 signaling molecules. We then focused on established schizophrenia-related growth factors, cytokines, and regulators of the extracellular matrix. Among 36 genes with significantly altered gene expression in dysfunctional horizontal rectus muscles, over one third were schizophrenia-related: CTGF, CXCR4, IL1B, IL10RA, MIF, MMP2, NPY1R, NRG1, NTRK2, SERPINA3, TIMP1, TIMP2, and TNF (adjusted p value ≤ 0.016667). By PCR array, expression of three of these genes was significantly different in medial rectus muscles, while eleven were significantly altered in lateral rectus muscles. Comparing baseline levels between muscle types, three schizophrenia-related genes (NPY1R, NTRK2, TIMP2) had lower levels of expression in medial rectus muscles. Despite the surprisingly large number of schizophrenia-related genes with altered gene expression levels in dysfunctional muscles, the lack of specificity for medial rectus muscles undermines a model of shared, region-specific gene expression abnormalities between exotropia and schizophrenia, but rather suggests consideration of the alternative model: that exotropia-induced aberrant early visual experiences may enable and/or contribute as a causative factor to the development of schizophrenia.

Strabismus and mental disorders among Israeli adolescents

PURPOSE

To assess the association between strabismus and mental disorders in adolescents.

METHODS

This case-control study included 662,641 Israeli teenagers that underwent medical evaluation by the Israel Defense Force as part of the preconscription assessment between 2005 and 2013. The association between common mental disorders (anxiety disorder, mood disorder, adjustment disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) and either uncorrected strabismus or corrected strabismus was examined. The association with strabismus correction was assessed by the differences between the corrected and uncorrected groups.

RESULTS

The mean age at the time of the examination was 17.3 ± 0.53 years, with a male predominance (59%). A total of 1,598 subjects (0.24%) had strabismus. Of those, 952 (60%) underwent successful correction and 646 (40%) did not undergo successful correction. A significant association was found between uncorrected strabismus and anxiety disorders (OR = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.02-3.57; P = 0.047) and between corrected strabismus and ADHD (OR = 2.62; 95% CI = 1.18-5.87; P = 0.03). Strabismus correction (as assessed by comparing the uncorrected and corrected strabismus groups) was not significantly associated with the mental disorders we examined, but a nearly statistically significant association with anxiety disorder was observed (OR = 2.978; 95% CI, 1.013-8.754; P = 0.06).

CONCLUSIONS

The evidence from our cohort suggests that strabismus correction, even in the absence of visual impairment, is not associated with mental disorders examined in this study.

Schizophrenia and Infections: The Eyes Have It

The visual tract is prominently involved in schizophrenia, as evidenced by perceptual distortions and a type of nystagmus found in many individuals affected. Genetic explanations for these abnormalities have been suggested. This study proposes an alternate explanation based on infection. Several infectious agents thought to be associated with some cases of schizophrenia are known to cause both infection of the fetus and abnormalities of the eye. Toxoplasma gondii is examined in detail, and rubella, cytomegalovirus, varicella-zoster virus, and herpes simplex virus more briefly. Careful ophthalmic assessments, including funduscopy and direct examination of tissues for infectious agents, will clarify the role of such agents in ocular aspects of schizophrenia.

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in Young Adults with Strabismus in India

INTRODUCTION

Strabismus has negative psycho-social and functional effects in adults. The impact can be minimised with surgery. However, in a low-income setting, it is important to evaluate the level of impact and prioritise the target population for intervention. The Adult Strabismus (AS-20) questionnaire is a reliable tool for assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in strabismic adults.

AIM

To assess the HRQoL in young adults with manifest strabismus through psychosocial and functional scores according to gender and direction of deviation using the AS-20 questionnaire.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional cohort study, 132 young adults who manifest horizontal strabismus were recruited and the AS-20 questionnaire was administered. Patient's demographic profile and type of strabismus were noted and compared with the overall mean scores of psycho-social and functional subscales. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21 and p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The participants comprised of 70 (53.03%) males and 62 (46.97%) females with a mean age of 24.5±3.57 years (range 18 to 38 years). The overall mean AS-20 score of young adults with strabismus was 61.62±12.61. The overall mean score for male and female were 65.54±13.53 and 57.68±13.46, respectively. Similarly, the mean scores for esotropes was 57.03±11.66 and 66.19±15.30 for exotropes. The overall mean scores were statistically significantly reduced (decreased QoL) in females as compared to males (CI 95%; p=0.002) and in esotropes as compared to exotropes (CI 95%; p=0.001). However, there was no significant difference between the psychosocial and functional score for all types of strabismus and genders (for all, p>0.05).

CONCLUSION

The Quality of Life (QoL) is affected through psychosocial and functional factors in adults with strabismus. Females and adults with esotropia faced greater difficulties in the QoL. We recommend clinicians to consider the impact on QoL while managing adult with strabismus.

Difference of Self-identity Levels between Strabismus Patients and Normal Controls

Purpose

To evaluate differences in self-identity in patients diagnosed with strabismus, patients who underwent strabismus surgery, and healthy control individuals.

Methods

Self-identity testing was done during a military service physical examination. There were three subject groups: subjects with strabismus (group 1), subjects who had undergone corrective strabismus surgery (group 2), and subjects free of strabismus (group 3). The self-identity test was comprised of six sub-sections (subjectivity, self-acceptance, future confidence, goal orientation, initiative, and familiarity). Statistical significance of the sub-sections was compared across the three groups. Correlations in age at the time of surgery and across the six sub-sections were investigated in group 2.

Results

A total of 351 subjects were enrolled in the study; 96 subjects were in group 1, 108 subjects were in group 2, and 147 subjects were in group 3. Significant differences were evident in subjectivity, self-acceptance, initiative and familiarity between groups 1 and 3. No significant differences were found between groups 2 and 3. In group 2, statistical significance was evident between age at surgery and initiative and familiarity (r = −0.333, p < 0.001; r = −0.433, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

Self-identity is greater in non-strabismus subjects than strabismus subjects. Correction of strabismus may increase self-identity levels.

Prevalence of Mental Health Illness among Patients with Adult-Onset Strabismus

BACKGROUND

Children diagnosed with some forms of strabismus were recently found to have an increased risk of developing mental illness by early adulthood. The purpose of this case-controlled study was to determine if adults with non-paralytic forms of strabismus are similarly at an elevated risk for developing mental illness.

METHODS

The medical records of all patients diagnosed as adults (≥ 19 years of age) with convergence insufficiency (CI) (n = 118), divergence insufficiency (DI) (n = 80), and small angle hypertropia (HT (n = 99) from January 1, 1985, through December 31, 2004, were retrospectively reviewed. Each case was compared with a sex- and birth date-matched non-strabismic control. The medical records were reviewed for mental health diagnoses, including inpatient and outpatient encounters, psychiatric ER visits, and medication use.

RESULTS

Mental health disorders were diagnosed in 65 (55.1%) patients with CI compared to 54 (45.8%) controls (p = 0.15), in 51 (63.8%) patients with DI compared to 42 (52.5%) controls (p = 0.15), and in 63 (63.6%) patients with HT compared to 57 (57.6%) controls (p = 0.38). CI patients were not more likely to have mental health disorders than their controls (p = 0.15). Mental health hospitalizations (p = 0.02), psychiatric medication use (p = 0.04), and unspecified anxiety disorders (p = 0.03) were higher in DI patients compared to controls. HT patients were found to have more generalized anxiety disorders (p = 0.003) than controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Adults with some forms of strabismus (DI and HT) appear to have an increased risk of mental illness and its comorbidities, compared to age- and gender-matched non-strabismic controls.

An external pilot study to test the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial comparing eye muscle surgery against active monitoring for childhood intermittent exotropia [X(T)]

INTRODUCTION

The evidence base for the treatment of strabismus (squint) is poor. Our main aim is to improve this evidence base for the treatment of a common type of childhood squint {intermittent exotropia, [X(T)]}. We conducted an external pilot study in order to inform the design and conduct of a future full randomised controlled trial (RCT).

METHODS

Children of between 6 months and 16 years with a recent diagnosis of X(T) were eligible for recruitment. Participants were recruited from secondary care at the ophthalmology departments at four UK NHS foundation trusts. Participants were randomised to either active monitoring or surgery. This report describes the findings of the Pilot Rehearsal Trial and Qualitative Study, and assesses the success against the objectives proposed.

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION

The experience gained during the Pilot Rehearsal Trial demonstrates the ability to recruit and retain sites that are willing to randomise children to both trial arms, and for parents to agree to randomisation of their children to such a study. One child declined the group allocation. A total of 231 children were screened (expected 240), of whom 138 (60%) were eligible (expected 228: 95%) and 49 (35% of eligible) children were recruited (expected 144: 63% of eligible). Strategies that improved recruitment over the course of the trial are discussed, together with the reasons why fewer children were eligible for recruitment than initially anticipated. Attrition was low. Outcome data were obtained for 47 of 49 randomised children.

TRIAL PROCESSES AND DATA COLLECTION

The Trial Management processes proved effective. There were high levels of completion on all of the data collection forms. However, the feedback from the treatment orthoptists revealed that some modifications should be made to the length and frequency of the health service assessment and travel assessment questionnaires, thus reducing the burden on participants in the main trial. Modifications to the wording of the questions also need to be made.

MONITORING OF BIAS

Children who recruited to the trial were older and had more severe strabismus than those children eligible but declining participation. Strategies to account for this in a full trial are proposed.

REASONS FOR PARTICIPATION OR DECLINING STUDY

These were identified using qualitative interviews. The principal reasons for declining entry into the study were strong preferences for and against surgical treatment.

HARMS

There were no serious unexpected adverse events. Two children had overcorrection of their X(T) with reduction in binocular vision following surgery, which is in line with previous studies. No children in the active monitoring arm developed a constant strabismus although two showed some reduction in control.

CONCLUSIONS

The SamExo study has demonstrated that it is possible to recruit and retain participants to a randomised trial of surgery compared with active monitoring for X(T). For longer-term full RCTs, in order to maximise the generalisability of future studies, consideration needs to be given to planning more time and clinic appointments to assess eligibility and to allow consideration of participation; the greater use of research nurses for recruitment; and accommodating the strong preferences of some parents both for and against surgical intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN44114892.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 19, No. 39. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Comparing Intelligence Quotient (IQ)among 3 to 7-year-old strabismic and nonstrabismic children in an Iranian population

This study was designed to compare the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) among 3 to 7-year-old strabismic and nonstrabismic children in an Iranian population.

In this cross-sectional study, 108 preschool children with equal numbers of strabismic/non-strabismic disorder (age 3–7 years) were randomly selected from exceptional strabismus clinics of Ahvaz and were evaluated with the preschool and primary scale of intelligence versions of Wechsler (WPPSI).

In the current study, 108 children were evaluated. In strabismic patients the mean performance, verbal and total IQ were 89.46±19.79, 89.57±21.57 and 91.54±22.08 respectively. These mean scores in normal children were 91.89±47.53, 87.56±15.6 and 89.96±17.62consecuently. The results showed that these three different IQ subscales were not significantly different among 3 to 7 years old strabismic and nonstrabismic children ((P>0.05 for all comparisons). There was no significant difference in IQ between two sexes (P>0.05) while Persian tribe children had greater IQ score compared to other tribes (P<0.05). Also, higher paternal educational status of children related to higher IQ score. IQ score was better in combined deviations and was higher in exotropes than esotropes; however, these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05).

In this evaluation, we did not found a significant negative interference of strabismus on IQ score of preschool children. It can be concluded that paternal educational level and tribe have a significant effect on intelligent quotient, while this is not the case on sex and ocular deviation.

Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Strabismus: A Modification of the Adult Strabismus-20 (AS-20) Questionnaire Using Rasch Analysis

Purpose

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Adult Strabismus-20 (AS-20)- a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire in adults with strabismus, and if flawed, to revise the AS-20 and its subscales creating valid measurement scales.

Methods

584 adults (meanage, 27.5 years) with strabismus were recruited from an outpatient clinic at a South Indian tertiary eye care centre and were administered the AS-20 questionnaire.The AS-20 was translated and back translated into two Indian languages. The AS-20 and its two 10-item subscales – ‘psychosocial’ and ‘function’were assessed separately for fit to the Rasch model, including an assessment of the rating scale, unidimensionality (by principal components analysis), measurement precision by person separation reliability, PSR, targeting, and differential item functioning (DIF; notable > 1.0 logits).

Results

Response categories were not used as intended, thereby, required re-organization and reducing their number from 5 to 3. The AS-20 had adequate measurement precision (PSR = 0.87) but lacked unidimensionality; however, deletion of the six multi-dimensionality causing items and an additional three misfitting items resulted in 11-item unidimensional questionnaire (AS-11). Two items failed to satisfy the model expectations in the ‘psychosocial’ subscale and were deleted – resulting in an 8-item unidimensional scale with adequate PSR (0.81) and targeting (0.23 logits). One item misfit in the ‘function’ subscale and was deleted—resulting in a 9 item Rasch-revised unidimensional subscale with acceptable PSR (0.80) and targeting (0.97 logits).None of the items displayed notable DIF by age, gender and level of education.

Conclusions

The AS-11 and its two Rasch-revised subscales – 8-item psychosocial and 9-item function subscale may be more appropriate than the original AS-20 and its two 10-item subscales for use as unidimensional measures of HRQoL in adults with strabismus in India. Further work is required to establish the validity of the revised rating scale.

Quality of life in adults with strabismus

PURPOSE

To assess relative quality of life in patients with strabismus.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

The 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25) was performed in 42 strabismic adults over the age of 50 years at a single institution. Subscale scores were compared with those of patients with other ocular diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataract, cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, and low vision.

RESULTS

Median visual acuity was 20/20 (range 20/12.5-20/50), and 34 patients (81%) reported diplopia. Strabismic patients performed the same or worse on nearly all vision-related subscales than did patients with diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract, and CMV retinitis. Additionally, strabismic patients reported significantly worse ocular pain than all comparison groups before any surgery was performed.

CONCLUSIONS

Strabismus impacts quality of life through both functional and psychosocial factors. Physicians treating strabismic patients should recognize these quality-of-life issues and address them accordingly.

Impact of strabismus surgery on health-related quality of life in adults

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Adult strabismus can cause many symptoms, which have generally been divided into functional complaints and social complaints. The validity of surgical correction has historically been based on the restoration of functional improvement. In the absence of this expectation, surgery was labeled cosmetic. Yet, many studies have revealed the immense impact of ocular misalignment on psychosocial variables. The purpose of this article is to review the potential functional and psychosocial benefits of strabismus surgery and to summarize the development and status of questionnaires to help quantify these benefits.

RECENT FINDINGS

Functional benefits of strabismus surgery have been recently summarized with a meta-analysis. Several questionnaires have been evaluated to assess the functional and psychosocial factors in adult strabismus. Two strabismus-specific questionnaires, the Amblyopia and Strabismus Questionnaire and the Adult Strabismus-20, reveal improvements in adults following surgery. The appropriate patient population, impact of comorbidities on the scores, and the timing of the administration of the questionnaire postoperatively still need to be determined.

SUMMARY

Future studies of the impact of strabismus surgery in adults will need to report not only objective motor results, but also the impact on health-related quality of life to encompass all the benefits of strabismus surgery.

Surgical correction of childhood intermittent exotropia and the risk of developing mental illness

PURPOSE

To assess whether successful surgical intervention for intermittent exotropia, or the timing of intervention, has any effect on the development of mental illness.

DESIGN

Retrospective, observational case series.

METHODS

All patients (<19 years of age) diagnosed with intermittent exotropia in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from January 1, 1975, through December 31, 1994, were reviewed retrospectively. Potential cases were identified using the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a medical records database designed to capture data on any patient-physician encounter in Olmsted County, Minnesota. The main outcome measures were the occurrence and severity of mental illness among those who underwent strabismus surgery compared with those who did not.

RESULTS

Ninety-six (52%) of the 184 children identified were diagnosed with a mental illness at a mean age of 23.3 years (range, 6 to 41 years). Thirty-five (36%) of the 96 children in whom mental illness developed underwent strabismus surgery. Success at surgery (<10 prism diopters) was not associated with a decreased occurrence of mental illness (P = .30). Of the 88 patients in whom mental illness did not develop, strabismus surgery was not more commonly performed (P = .54), nor was it performed at a younger age (P = 1.0), when compared with the 96 patients in whom mental illness developed later.

CONCLUSIONS

Strabismus surgery for children with intermittent exotropia, regardless of success or age at surgery, did not alter the development of mental illness by early adulthood.

Interventions for intermittent exotropia

BACKGROUND

The clinical management of intermittent exotropia has been discussed extensively in the literature, yet there remains a lack of clarity regarding indications for intervention, the most effective form of treatment and whether or not there is an optimal time in the evolution of the disease at which any treatment should be carried out.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this review was to analyse the effects of various surgical and non-surgical treatments in randomised trials of participants with intermittent exotropia, and to report intervention criteria and determine the significance of factors such as age with respect to outcome.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register) (The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2012), MEDLINE (January 1966 to May 2012), EMBASE (January 1980 to May 2012), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Health Sciences (LILACS) (January 1982 to May 2012), the metaRegister of Controlled Trials (mRCT) (www.controlled-trials.com), ClinicalTrials.gov (www.clinicaltrials.gov) and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) (www.who.int/ictrp/search/en). We did not use any date or language restrictions in the electronic searches for trials. We last searched the electronic databases on 4 May 2012. We are no longer searching the UK Clinical Trials Gateway (UKCTG) for this review. We manually searched the British Orthoptic Journal up to 2002, and the proceedings of the European Strabismological Association (ESA), International Strabismological Association (ISA) and American Academy of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus meeting (AAPOS) up to 2001. We contacted researchers who are active in the field for information about further published or unpublished studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials of any surgical or non-surgical treatment for intermittent exotropia.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Each review author independently assessed study abstracts identified from the electronic and manual searches. Author analysis was then compared and full papers for appropriate studies were obtained.

MAIN RESULTS

We found one randomised trial that was eligible for inclusion. This trial showed that unilateral surgery was more effective than bilateral surgery for correcting the basic type of intermittent exotropia.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The available literature consists mainly of retrospective case reviews, which are difficult to reliably interpret and analyse. The one randomised trial included found unilateral surgery more effective than bilateral surgery for basic intermittent exotropia. However, across all identified studies, measures of severity and thus criteria for intervention are poorly validated, and there appear to be no reliable natural history data. There is therefore a pressing need for improved measures of severity, a better understanding of the natural history and carefully planned clinical trials of treatment to improve the evidence base for the management of this condition.

Parent-reported symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children with intermittent exotropia before and after strabismus surgery

PURPOSE

To investigate the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as reported by parents in children with intermittent exotropia [X(T)] and to determine whether strabismus surgery for X(T) affects ADHD symptoms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fifty-one consecutive children undergoing muscle surgery for X(T) were prospectively recruited. One parent of each child completed the ADHD rating scale IV (ADHD RS-IV) assessment consecutively before and one year after surgery. Patients whose preoperative scores were above the cut-off point, the 90th percentile based on a Korean sample, were regarded as demonstrating the ADHD trait. The impact of muscle surgery on ADHD symptoms was assessed by comparing the preoperative scores with the post-operative scores.

RESULTS

Eight (15.7%) of the 51 patients demonstrated the ADHD trait. ADHD RS-IV scores following strabismus surgery significantly decreased in patients with the ADHD trait (p=0.014), while they did not differ in patients without the ADHD trait. Seven (87.5%) of the 8 patients with the ADHD trait showed improvement in their ADHD RS-IV scores after surgery. There was no difference in surgical success rates between X(T) patients with and without the ADHD trait.

CONCLUSION

The ADHD trait was relatively common in children with X(T), and the parent-reported symptoms of the children with the ADHD trait improved after strabismus surgery. These results suggest that childhood X(T) may be one contributing factor to ADHD- related symptoms.