{"id":9604,"date":"2021-01-23T20:51:01","date_gmt":"2021-01-23T20:51:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/?page_id=9604"},"modified":"2021-07-13T09:08:33","modified_gmt":"2021-07-13T09:08:33","slug":"sixth-nerve-palsy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.optometrists.org\/vision-therapy\/neuro-optometry\/sixth-nerve-palsy\/","title":{"rendered":"Sixth Nerve Palsy"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is sixth nerve palsy?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Sixth nerve palsy, also called abducens nerve palsy, is a rare condition that occurs when the sixth cranial nerve, also called the abducens nerve, becomes damaged.<\/p>\n

Each year, around 11 in 100,000 people are diagnosed with sixth nerve palsy.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The sixth cranial nerve is responsible for sending signals to the lateral rectus muscle. This small external eye muscle<\/a> attaches to the outer side of your eye and turns your eye outward, away from your nose.<\/p>\n

When the sixth cranial nerve becomes damaged, it prevents the lateral rectus muscle from contracting and results in an inward eye turn (esotropia<\/a>) and double vision<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n

What causes sixth nerve palsy?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Sixth nerve palsy is generally diagnosed in adults above the age of 70, when diabetes (23%) and hypertension (20%) are most prevalent. Sixth nerve palsy can also be present at birth, or result from trauma or medical condition. However, in up to 30 percent of cases, the underlying cause of sixth nerve palsy is unknown.<\/p>\n

The most common causes of sixth nerve palsy include:\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n