The University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences has been awarded a $25,000 Lisa D. Hansen Medical Research Grant from the Blind Children’s Center (Los Angeles, CA) to support a new project aimed at improving the diagnosis and prognosis of nystagmus in children.
The funded study, titled “AI-Assisted Eye-Movement Analysis to Improve Diagnosis and Prognosis of Nystagmus in Children,” is led by Alina Dumitrescu, MD, and Randy Kardon, MD, PhD, with co-investigator Mona Garvin, PhD.
In announcing the award, the Blind Children’s Center noted the project’s “potential to have a wide-reaching impact on diagnosing nystagmus,” underscoring its significance for improving care for children with visual impairment.
Addressing a Common and Complex Pediatric Vision Disorder
Nystagmus—an involuntary, repetitive eye movement—affects approximately 1 in 400 children and is among the most common causes of visual impairment in infancy and early childhood. However, it is not a single disease, but rather a clinical sign associated with a wide range of underlying conditions, including retinal disorders, neurologic abnormalities, albinism, and idiopathic eye movement disorders.
Determining the underlying cause of nystagmus is critical for guiding treatment, genetic counseling, and long-term care. Yet current diagnostic approaches can be costly, time-intensive, and difficult to access—particularly for families in underserved or rural communities.
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Earlier, More Equitable Diagnosis
The Iowa research team aims to develop an innovative, AI-based approach to analyzing eye-movement recordings as a practical, non-invasive diagnostic tool.
The project will leverage a unique, prospectively collected dataset of high-resolution eye-movement recordings from 100 pediatric patients with nystagmus, each with an established clinical diagnosis and documented visual outcomes. This dataset enables immediate application of advanced machine learning techniques without the need for additional patient recruitment.
Using these data, the investigators will:
- Identify and classify patterns in nystagmus eye movements
- Determine whether AI can accurately distinguish between underlying causes
- Evaluate whether eye-movement features can predict long-term visual outcomes
The central goal is to determine whether AI-driven analysis can provide meaningful diagnostic and prognostic information—potentially enabling earlier and more accessible evaluation without reliance on expensive, specialized testing.
If successful, the approach could eventually be adapted for use with widely available technologies such as smartphone video, expanding access to expert-level assessment in community and primary care settings.
A Strong Interdisciplinary Team
The project brings together clinical and engineering expertise across the University of Iowa:
- Alina Dumitrescu, MD – Pediatric ophthalmologist and author of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Clinical Guidelines for Childhood Nystagmus Workup
- Randy Kardon, MD, PhD – Neuro-ophthalmologist, Pomerantz Family Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology, and Director of the Iowa City VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss
- Mona Garvin, PhD – Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a nationally recognized expert in AI-based ophthalmic imaging at Iowa's Institute for Biomedical Engineering.
They are supported by a multidisciplinary research team, including Tara Bragg in orthoptics and research engineers, Zhi Chen and Jui-Kai (Ray) Wang, with extensive experience in AI-driven ophthalmic analysis.
Advancing the Mission to Improve Children’s Vision
This work aligns closely with the Blind Children’s Center’s long-standing mission to support research benefiting children with visual impairment from birth through early childhood.
By combining a rare, fully characterized dataset with state-of-the-art artificial intelligence methods, the project is positioned to generate foundational data for larger-scale studies and future NIH/NEI funding. Ultimately, the investigators aim to create tools that improve diagnostic accuracy, reduce delays in care, and expand access to vision-saving interventions for children worldwide.
This work is made possible in part with funding from The Blind Children’s Center, Los Angeles, CA.