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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2019; 77(03): 194-207
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X20190014
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Irlen syndrome: systematic review and level of evidence analysis

Síndrome de Irlen: revisão sistemática e análise do nível de evidência
Jordan Da Silva Miyasaka
1   Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André SP, Brasil
,
Raphael V. Gonzaga Vieira
1   Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André SP, Brasil
,
Elaine Shizue Novalo-Goto
1   Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André SP, Brasil
,
Erik Montagna 
1   Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André SP, Brasil
,
Rubens Wajnsztejn
1   Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André SP, Brasil
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ABSTRACT

Background: Scotopic sensitivity syndrome, later called Meares-Irlen syndrome or simply Irlen syndrome (IS) has been described as symptoms of poor reading ability due to poor color matching and distorted graphic images. Individuals with this syndrome are considered slow, ineffective readers with low comprehension and visual fatigue. It is still uncertain whether the disease pathophysiology is an independent entity or part of the dyslexia spectrum. Nevertheless, treatments with lenses and colored filters have been proposed to alleviate the effect of the luminous contrast and improve patients’ reading performance. However, no evidence of treatment effectiveness has been achieved.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to obtain evidence about IS etiology, diagnosis and intervention efficacy.

Methods: A systematic review was performed covering the available studies on IS, assessing the available data according to their level of evidence, focusing on diagnostic tools, proposed interventions and related outcomes.

Results: The data showed high heterogeneity among studies, and lack of evidence on the existence of IS and treatment effectiveness.

Conclusion: The syndrome as described, as well as its treatments, require further strong evidence.

RESUMO

Background: A síndrome da sensibilidade escotópica, posteriormente denominada síndrome de Meares-Irlen ou simplesmente síndrome de Irlen (SI), foi descrita como indivíduos com sintomas de baixa capacidade de leitura devido à combinação de cores e distorções nas imagens. Indivíduos com essa síndrome podem apresentar leitura lenta e ineficaz, com baixo nível de compreensão e fadiga visual. A fisiopatologia da doença ainda é incerta como uma entidade independente ou como parte do espectro da dislexia. No entanto, tratamentos com lentes e filtros coloridos foram propostos com o objetivo de aliviar o efeito do contraste luminoso e melhorar o desempenho de leitura dos pacientes. Outrossim, nenhuma evidência de eficácia do tratamento foi alcançada.

Objetivos: Obter evidências sobre a etiologia, eficácia diagnóstica e intervenção da SI.

Métodos: Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática, cobrindo os estudos disponíveis sobre a SI, avaliando os dados disponíveis de acordo com seu nível de evidência, com foco em ferramentas de diagnóstico, intervenções propostas e desfechos relacionados.

Resultados: Os dados mostram alta heterogeneidade, falta de evidência sobre a existência da SI e eficácia do tratamento.

Conclusões: A síndrome descrita e seus tratamentos exigem evidências mais robustas.

Keywords:

Reading disorders - systematic review - evidence-based medicine - meares-irlen syndrome - colored lenses

Palavras-chave:

Transtorno da leitura - revisão sistemática - medicina baseada em evidência - síndrome de meares-irlen - lentes coloridas


Publication History

Received: 05 April 2018

Accepted: 07 November 2018

Article published online:
21 August 2023

© 2023. Academia Brasileira de Neurologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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