Optometry Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Optometry, including details on myopia, optometric practice, therapy.

Subtle binocular vision anomalies in migraine.

Harle DE, Evans BJ

The Neville Chappell Research Clinic, The Institute of Optometry, 56-62 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6DS, UK. dharle@ioo.org.uk

A literature review reveals old references to an association between migraine headache and binocular vision anomalies, but a lack of scientific evidence evaluating these claims. In a masked case control study, we investigated binocular vision using standard clinical tests in people with migraine and in controls. Some test results suggest that heterophoria and fixation disparity are more common in the migraine group. The migraine group also had slightly reduced stereopsis. We found significant correlations between some migraine variables and some binocular vision variables (e.g., duration of worst headache and impaired stereopsis) but our analyses do not suggest that a causal relationship is likely. In conclusion, people with migraine have on average a slightly higher prevalence of heterophoria and aligning prism, and reduced stereopsis compared with controls. However, the differences are subtle and our data do not support the use of binocular vision interventions prescribed solely on the basis of the presence of migraine.

Published 16 October 2006 in Ophthalmic Physiol Opt, 26(6): 587-96.
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