5. Oculomotor Issues – The Eye’s Battle
Oculomotor issues, which refer to problems with eye movement, are a noteworthy symptom of OPCA. The eyes are incredibly complex, and the intricate coordination between different muscles allows us to move our gaze quickly and accurately. In OPCA, this coordination is disrupted, leading to difficulties in controlling eye movements.
A common issue is slow or limited eye movement. People with OPCA may struggle to quickly shift their gaze from one point to another, or they may have trouble moving their eyes to the extreme right, left, up, or down. The person might have to move their head to follow a moving object fully because their eyes cannot keep up.
In some cases, individuals might also experience nystagmus – an involuntary movement of the eyes, where they appear to ‘jerk’ or ‘flicker’ back and forth. This symptom can make it harder to focus on objects, especially those in motion. It might also cause issues with depth perception, affecting a person’s ability to gauge distances correctly, which in turn can contribute to their difficulties with balance and coordination. (5)
