Neuro-Ophthalmic Exam

About the Neuro-Ophthalmic Exam

Your first appointment will last 4 to 6 hours. Once your appointment is made a clinician assistant will be contacting you by phone to obtain a preliminary history. This information will help Dr. Tang to assess the urgency of your visit and determine if you should be seen sooner by herself or another specialist. 

Click Here for a list of procedures or testing that you may have performed during your exam with us.

Preparing for the Neuro-Ophthalmology Examination


2. If you have had a CT or MRI scan performed, you may be asked to pick up the actual films and bring them with you, or have the facility mail them to the neuro-ophthalmologist in advance or your appointment.

3. You will probably have your pupils dilated during the visit. The eye drops last about 4 hours and will make things look bright and blurry up close. You may need someone else to drive you to the appointment and bring your sunglasses.

4. Ladies, in order for the physician to get a good look at your eyelids, and to avoid ruining your appearance when the eye drops are administered, do not wear eye makeup.


6. Make sure to let us know if you have had any adverse reaction to any eye medications, such as dilating drops, prior to the application of the same drops in our office.

7. Please bring old photographs of your face to your exam [10 years back] so that we can check for changes in your pupils or lids or eye position over time.

What Happens During the Evaluation?

1. The neuro-ophthalmologic evaluation is one of the most comprehensive examinations you will experience. It may take 4 to 6 hours to complete. You will be asked to give an account of your current problem and relate your entire medical history, including previous hospitalizations, operations, serious illnesses, medical problems in your family members, and medication allergies.

2. You will have a very detailed and complete eye examination.

3. You will likely have a visual field examination performed. We have different types of machines to perform these tasks. Some of them may look familiar to you as you may have had this test before.

4. You will have an extensive evaluation of your eye movement if any abnormality is found. This may entail measuring you for the use of prisms to achieve single vision which can be tedious.

5. You may require that we perform electrophysiological testing on you. Our office is equipped with the most advanced techniques of visual evoked responses [VEP], Multifocal VEP, electroretinogram [ERG] and Multifocal ERG. Sometimes these tests need to be scheduled for a future visit.


7. The Neuro-Ophthalmologist will review the records and scans from previous evaluations, if applicable.

8. After the examination the neuro-ophthalmologist will discuss the diagnosis (or possible diagnosis) and the need for any additional testing and possible treatment.