French scientists have discovered a physiological commonality in the eyes of dyslexia sufferers which could potentially lead to a new cure for the condition.

While studying the eyes of people with the condition, researchers at the University of Rennes realised that their eye cells were arranged in matching patterns in both eyes, whereas the cells in non-dyslexic people are arranged asymmetrically.

The result in those with dyslexia is a kind of battle in the brain between the two identical received images. In non-dyslexic people, the different cell arrangement allows the brain to prioritise one image over another and select a single “true” image.

Further study revealed a delay of a millisecond between the primary image and the mirror image in the opposing hemispheres of the brain – and this is where the research entered a truly exciting dimension. The boffins set about building an LED lamp which flashed at exactly the right speed to erase the second confusing image before it reached the brain. It was so successful that the dyslexia sufferers who initially trialled it called it the “magic lamp”.

If the research findings are correct, it would also mean that the diagnosis of dyslexia could be made simply by looking into a subject’s eyes.

Sources:

1. IFL Science:
   Scientists May Have Found Out What Causes Dyslexia.

2. The Guardian:
   Dyslexia: scientists claim cause of condition may lie in the eyes.