Diagram of the part of the human visual pathways that cause the pupils to constrict to a flash of light. Many additional pathways control movements of the eyes.

As medical professionals know, Visual Pathways is more than just our company name. Visual pathways are the neural routes that carry information from our eyes, through the various visual processing centers in the brain, and back to the muscles that control eye and pupil movements. These pathways start with the retinas, which are really small pieces of brain tissue that migrate out to the eyeballs during embryonic development. The retinas are the only places in the body where blood vessels and neural tissue are visible through transparent windows, the corneas. Using an ophthalmoscope, which looks like a small, handheld flashlight, doctors will often inspect the eyes during routine exams to detect conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes or arteriosclerosis.

Movements of the eyes and pupils are also good indicators of medical conditions. Almost any condition that affects the brain or muscles, such as a brain tumor, stroke, multiple sclerosis, concussion or myasthenia gravis, can cause abnormalities in the way our eyes move or our pupils respond to light.