Sheffield Researchers to Study Focusing Ability in People with Nystagmus Through Innovative New Project
Sheffield, UK – The Nystagmus Network has awarded a Legacy Grant to Dr. Gemma Arblaster and Dr. Sonia Toor, lecturers and researchers in Orthoptics at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, for their pioneering research into accommodation and focusing in nystagmus. This important study aims to enhance clinical understanding of how individuals with nystagmus focus on objects at varying distances.
Thanks to a generous legacy gift from the late Mrs. Rhoda Clarke, the research project will examine the focusing ability of people with nystagmus – an area that has not been extensively studied before. Mrs. Clarke, whose great niece has albinism and nystagmus, hoped her gift would benefit young people with similar conditions in the future.
“We are delighted to have been awarded the research grant from the Nystagmus Network, which has been made possible following a generous donation from the late Mrs. Rhoda Clarke,” says Dr. Arblaster.
“Our research will measure accommodation or ‘focusing ability’. We are keen to better understand the focusing abilities of people with infantile nystagmus and people with albinism and nystagmus, compared to people without nystagmus. This study will allow us to develop recommendations on how best to measure focusing in nystagmus in a clinical setting. It will also allow us to study focusing in a research environment using specialized equipment and plan future research in this area.”
The study aims to recruit participants aged 16-36 with infantile nystagmus, albinism and nystagmus, as well as a control group without nystagmus. Various clinical and research techniques will be utilized to measure focusing ability and determine the most effective methods for measuring focusing during clinical appointments. This will also establish groundwork for future research projects in this area.
The research team will employ specialized equipment and techniques to study both infantile nystagmus and albinism with nystagmus. This comprehensive approach will help identify which measurement techniques are most accurate and acceptable to patients.
“The Nystagmus Network is delighted to fund this innovative project,” says Dr. Harshal Kubavat, chair of the charity’s research committee. “It promises to deliver greater understanding of the condition for both clinicians and patients, perfectly aligning with Mrs. Clarke’s wishes to make a lasting impact on nystagmus research and treatment.”
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For more information, please contact Sue Ricketts, Nystagmus Network at sue.ricketts@nystagmusnet.org or 01427 718093. Visit their website at www.nystagmusnetwork.org and follow them on social media: Facebook – NystagmusNetwork, Twitter – NystagmusUK, Instagram – nystagmusnetwork, BlueSky – @nystagmusnetwork, Linkedin – nystagmus-network.
Nystagmus is a serious, lifelong, incurable form of visual impairment where the eyes constantly move uncontrollably, affecting focus, depth perception and facial recognition. At least 1 in 1,000 babies are born with nystagmus, and many others acquire it later in life. Support is needed for individuals with nystagmus in all aspects of their lives including early years, school, employment, and everyday life.
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