12.3 Research Priorities

  12.3.1 Epidemiological and Service Issues

· Determining whether very early squint surgery gives better outcomes for binocular function.
· Determining the optimum management of intermittent squints.
· Determining optimum management for thyroid eye disease.
· Cost-benefit analysis of visual screening in children and determining the optimum age(s) for screening.

  12.3.2 Clinical and Laboratory Issues

· Understanding the changes in the brain underlying amblyopia and determining why some children fail to respond to patching.
· Understanding why binocular function breaks down in some children.
Understanding mechanisms underling development of correct focussing of the eye and why this fails in some children.

   12.2 Research Potential