"There is No Cure for Dyslexia, Although..."
“There's no cure for dyslexia, [although] early assessment and intervention result in the best outcome,” according to an article on the Mayo Clinic web site.
But what if changes could be made to the brains of those who are diagnosed as having dyslexia, which the Cleveland Clinic describes as a learning disability that disrupts how your brain processes written language? Could at least the struggles with dyslexia be significantly diminished if not resolved?
Perhaps, yes. The answer may be found in the application of retinal neuromodulation, an advanced optometric technique being practiced at the Mind-Eye Institute in Northbrook, Illinois. Retinal neuromodulation involves the stimulation of the retina using light.
Work at the Mind-Eye Institute
Based in Northbrook, Illinois, the Mind-Eye Institute is internationally noted for the successful use of highly individualized therapeutic lenses, filters, and other advanced optometric tools to modify the amount, angle, and intensity of light entering through a patient’s retina, often helping relieve brain-related symptoms of injury or disease. These symptoms can include (among others) visual processing difficulties, eyesight disorders, balance, and autonomic dysfunction.
The retina also plays a significant part in integrating various sensory inputs, including eye-ear coordination, to help patients process surrounding space and visualize sound location. explains optometrist Deborah Zelinsky OD, a globally recognized retinal processing expert and the founder of the Mind-Eye Institute.
About Dyslexia
“Dyslexia is a language-based disorder. It manifests itself in different ways, the most common being a reading problem usually attributed to lack of coordination between a person’s central and peripheral eyesight,” Dr. Zelinsky says.
Other expressions of dyslexia affect writing or make word retrieval difficult. All its forms involve faulty visual processing, either through external eyesight or internal visual imagery. Some studies hypothesize preteen children with dyslexia have eye movements similar to those of non-dyslexic children at age 6, the theory being that dyslexia is an immature development of visual processing, leading to eye-control issues.
“Reading is not just a visual activity; it requires auditory processing as well."
“When reading, peripheral eyesight is used to scan an entire paragraph, while central eyesight focuses on specific words. If coordination between those two visual systems is not properly developed, or the peripheral portion is abnormally slow, reading becomes laborious and comprehension is difficult. If the peripheral eyesight is used to glimpse, the word ‘pint,’ for example, may become the word ‘pink’ and ‘shoulder’ might appear as ‘should’ to the dyslexic reader because peripheral eyesight has not placed the words into context quickly enough within the paragraph. Also, the word ‘pint’ might be read as rhyming with mint and hint, thereby slowing reading by shifting attention to one word rather than content,” Dr. Zelinsky explains.
Individuals with dyslexia also may experience unsynchronized processing of eyesight and hearing signals in the brain or poor ability to locate a target by sight or sound.
“Should a target be perceived in one place visually but in another place by hearing, the resulting imbalance causes confusion in the brain and promotes release of stress chemicals that can either shut down or hypersensitive peripheral eyesight,” Dr. Zelinsky says.
“Reading is not just a visual activity; it requires auditory processing as well. As you read, the brain is also sounding out words. Think of ‘wind’ which has a different pronunciation and meaning depending on whether the context is Chicago weather or a child’s toy that needs to be wound. Or the word ‘close’ that is pronounced differently when surrounding words change – ‘They went too close to the fire’ versus ‘They went to close the door.’ The same central visual input for ‘close’ elicits an ‘S’ sound or ‘Z’ sound, depending on the peripheral context.
Important Role of Eyeglasses to Change Brain Activity
“The retina is composed of brain tissue and plays a significant role in the central nervous system. Every spot of the retina corresponds to a spot in the brain. The retina is like a patchwork quilt. By moving light in diverse ways across and through this patchwork using advanced lens technology, we can influence brain activity and literally produce reactions in the body. At the Mind-Eye Institute, we are able to measure a person’s processing of visual and auditory space and the connections between eye and ear signaling,” Dr. Zelinsky explains.
Retinal stimulation is important to both the fields of neurology and psychiatry. “Visual inputs create neurological shifts that may impact brain processing, such as that found in dyslexia. In fact, retinal neuromodulation of brain activity through non-invasive stimulation of the eye -- alone or in combination with other professions -- could prove clinically effective in addressing a host of diseases,” Dr. Zelinsky says.
“Indeed, the right mix of prescriptive optometric appliances can alter the distribution of light on the retina in ways that modify perception of space and time and change the dynamic relationship between the mind’s visual inputs and the body’s internal reactions and responses. The implication here is that retinal stimulation can be used intentionally to build new brain signaling pathways.”
Few people, including researchers, realize eyeglasses are one way to directly alter brain activity,” Dr. Zelinsky states. “Even when a person sees 20/20, he or she may need glasses for other reasons, such as linking perception of auditory and visual awareness.”
Or “possibly improving a person’s dyslexic symptoms,” she adds. “I foresee Mind-Eye as paving the way for stabilizing eye/ear connections in many people. Currently, the connection between eyes and ears is not assessed but needs to be.”
Interested in learning more?
At the Mind-Eye Institute we understand that interactions between the electrical and biochemical pathways in the brain affect physical, physiological and psychological systems. Visual interventions that alter retinal signaling pathways impact both the electrical and biochemical systems.
To learn about next steps for registering as a patient or registering a child as a patient, please call the Mind-Eye Institute office at 847.558.7817 or you can fill out our online New Patient Inquiry Form provided here.
