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Kim and Cho: Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Dyslexia in Korea: Correlation With Meares-Irlen Syndrome
Original Article

J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2010;51(12):1639-1642.

Published online: 7 September 2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2010.51.12.1639

Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Dyslexia in Korea: Correlation With Meares-Irlen Syndrome

Seung-Hyun Kim, MD, PhD, Yoonae A Cho, MD, PhD

Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan, Korea

Address reprint requests to Seung-Hyun Kim, MD, PhD Department of Ophthalmology, Korea University Ansan Hospital #516, Gojan 1-dong, Danwon-gu, Ansan 425-707, Korea Tel: 82-31-412-5160, Fax: 82-31-412-5802, E-mail: ansaneye@hanmail.net

Received 7 June 2010       Accepted 10 November 2010

Copyright © 2010 Korean Ophthalmological Society

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the main symptoms and associated ocular diseases in patients with dyslexia (reading difficulty) in Korean subjects.

Methods

A total of 16 patients were enrolled in the present study. Eleven of the patients with Meares-Irlen syndrome whose symptoms improved with tinted lenses comprised Group 1. The other 5 patients whose reading difficulty improved with other ocular therapy and did not require tinted lenses comprised Group 2. The main symptoms causing dyslexia and associated ocular diseases were evaluated.

Results

The mean age was 18.9 ± 8.9 years in Group 1, and 20.4 ± 12.3 years in Group 2. In Group 1, the most common symptoms while reading were doubling (72%), difficulty to move lines (46%), letter reversal (27%) and blurring or ocular pain (27%). On the other hand, blurring (100%) with fatigue or pain (20%) was documented in Group 2. The associated ocular diseases in Group 1 and Group 2 were refractive error (63% and 20%), dry eye (18% and 60%), and exophoria (18% and 60%), respectively.

Conclusions

Doubling and difficulty to move lines while reading were the main specific symptoms in Meares-Irlen syndrome in the present study. Refractive error, dry eye, and exophoria were commonly associated in patients with dyslexia. J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2010;51(12):1639–1642

Keywords: Associated ocular disease, Dyslexia, Meares-Irlen syndrome

References

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Table 1.
Characteristics of 11 patients with Mears-Irlen syndrome
No Age Sex Symptoms while reading Diagnosis
1 27 M Letter reversal, Repetition, Distortion, Fatigue, Dizziness MIS, exophoria, anxiety disorder
2 13 M Doubling, Stammering, Difficulty to move lines MIS, Myopic astigmatism
3 35 F Doubling, Difficulty to move lines, Dizziness MIS, Myopic astigmatism
4 12 M Doubling, Blurring, Pain MIS, exophoria
5 16 M Blurring, Floating MIS, Myopic astigmatism, Dry eye
6 20 F Doubling, Difficulty to move lines, Pain MIS, Myopic astigmatism
7 18 M Doubling, Difficulty to move lines MIS, Myopic astigmatism
8 34 M Letter reversal, Blurring, Dizziness MIS, Dry eye
9 16 F Difficulty to move lines, Floating, Pain MIS, Anemia
10 8 F Doubling, Skipping, Blurring, Headache MIS, Hyperopic astigmatism
11 9 M Doubling, Letter reversal, Skipping MIS, Astigmatism, ADHD

MIS=Mears-Irlen Syndrome

ADHD=attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Table 2.
Characteristics of 5 patients with dyslexia not improved with tinted lens
No Age Sex Symptoms while reading Diagnosis Management
1 16 M Blurring, Fatigue Dry eye, exophoria Artificial tear
2 8 M Skipping, Blurring Myopia, exophoria Glasses
3 35 F Blurring, Pain, Repetition Dry eye Artificial tear
4 35 F Blurring, Repetition Dry eye, exophoria Artificial tear, prism glasses
5 8 M Blurring, Repetition ADHD At department of Psychiatry

ADHD=attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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