Supranuclear OphthalmoplegiaSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Supranuclear Ophthalmoplegia Overview
Learn About Supranuclear Ophthalmoplegia
Supranuclear ophthalmoplegia is a condition that affects the movement of the eyes.
Progressive supranuclear palsy - supranuclear ophthalmoplegia; Encephalitis - supranuclear ophthalmoplegia; Olivopontocerebellar atrophy - supranuclear ophthalmoplegia; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - supranuclear ophthalmoplegia; Whipple disease - supranuclear ophthalmoplegia; Dementia - supranuclear ophthalmoplegia
This disorder occurs because the brain is sending and receiving faulty information through the nerves that control eye movement. The nerves themselves are healthy.
People who have this problem often have progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). This is a disorder that affects the way the brain controls movement, including eye movement.
Other disorders that have been associated with this condition include:
- Inflammation of the brain (encephalitis)
- Disease that causes areas deep in the brain, just above the spinal cord, to shrink (olivopontocerebellar atrophy)
- Disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement (for example, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
- Condition that also causes malabsorption disorder of the small intestine as well as other symptoms (Whipple disease)
People with supranuclear ophthalmoplegia are unable to move their eyes at will in all directions, especially looking upward.
Depending on what condition may be causing the supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, associated symptoms may include:
- Mild dementia
- Stiff and uncoordinated movements like those of Parkinson disease
- Symptoms of disorders associated with supranuclear ophthalmoplegia
Treatment depends on the cause and symptoms of the supranuclear ophthalmoplegia.
Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center
Dr. Alexander Pantelyat cares for patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and related syndromes, essential tremor, dystonia, chorea and normal pressure hydrocephalus. He also provides botulinum toxin injections for movement disorders and is involved in deep brain stimulation programming and intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring.His research explores atypical parkinsonian disorders, such as dementia with Lewy bodies, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome/degeneration and multiple system atrophy; cognitive aspects of movement disorders; and music-based rehabilitation of neurodegenerative diseases.Dr. Pantelyat earned his medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, where he was elected a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and received the Matthew T. Moore Prize in Neurology. He completed his residency training in Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and a fellowship in movement disorders at the University of Pennsylvania/Philadelphia VA Medical Center. As part of his fellowship, Dr. Pantelyat also completed the Clinical Research Certificate Program at the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He is a 2013 American Academy of Neurology Palatucci Advocacy Leader and grant recipient. Dr. Pantelyat is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Supranuclear Ophthalmoplegia. His top areas of expertise are Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Atypical, Supranuclear Ophthalmoplegia, and Movement Disorders.
Penn Neuroscience Center - Neurology
David Irwin is a Neurologist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Dr. Irwin is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Supranuclear Ophthalmoplegia. His top areas of expertise are Frontotemporal Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Dementia, and Corticobasal Degeneration. Dr. Irwin is currently accepting new patients.
Memory And Aging Center
Dr. Adam Boxer is a neurologist at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center who specializes in Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia and atypical parkinsonism – in particular, corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy. Boxer obtained his medical and doctoral degrees as part of the Medical Scientist Training Program at New York University School of Medicine, a program funded by the National Institutes of Health. He completed a residency in neurology at Stanford University Medical Center and a fellowship in behavioral neurology at UCSF. Boxer directs the clinical neurology research unit for the Sandler Neurosciences Center at Mission Bay, as well as the clinical trials program for Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia at the Memory and Aging Center. Boxer received the Edwin Boldrey Award from the San Francisco Neurological Society in 2002 for basic research in neurological disease, the 2005 John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation Alzheimer's Award and a 2009 Hellman Family Foundation fellowship. Dr. Boxer is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Supranuclear Ophthalmoplegia. His top areas of expertise are Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Atypical, Supranuclear Ophthalmoplegia, and Corticobasal Degeneration.
Outlook depends on the cause of the supranuclear ophthalmoplegia.
Summary: Previous preliminary results are sufficiently impressive to suggest that tDCS stimulation does have the potential to improve motor function when that ability is trained during stimulation. In the proposed study, the investigation will assess whether walking sessions combined with tDCS lead to improvements in motor function: gait, articulation, eye gaze, and motor dexterity. In addition, the invest...
Summary: This study is designed to learn more about overall tau burden in the brain of patients with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP).
Published Date: June 13, 2024
Published By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Lin CR. Progressive supranuclear palsy. In: Ferri FF, ed. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2025. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 918.e4-918e6.
Ling H. Clinical approach to progressive supranuclear palsy. J Mov Disord. 2016;9(1):3-13. PMID: 26828211 www.pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26828211/.
Rucker JC, Lavin PJM. Neuro-ophthalmology: ocular motor system. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 18.

