BRAIN INJURY

AN OVERVIEW

The brain controls everything we say, do, think and feel. A BRAIN INJURY can result from a motor vehicle accident, a fall or stroke.  In fact anything that disrupts the function of the brain can result in a brain injury.

Studies show that 90% of patients who have suffered a traumatic brain injury suffer from some form of visual difficulty.

In many instances of brain injury, the eye itself is unaffected but the areas of the brain that control and interpret visual information as well as the nerve pathways between the eye and the brain structures are affected. Brain injuries cause an interruption in communication between the eyes and the brain.

There are 2 main visual communication pathways in the brain. The Focal Pathway is involved with detailed vision and the ability to see clearly and in sharp focus. The Ambient Pathway is involved with balance, movement, posture and understanding of oneself in space. A brain injury disrupts the communication between these processing pathways in the brain resulting in a wide range of difficulties. A person may have sharp vision but may have difficulties with visual functions.  

Brain injuries can therefore affect a person’s ability to process visual information. The information the brain receives after an injury is often inconsistent and inaccurate and leads to difficulties with balance, posture and dizziness.

Early diagnosis can lead to appropriate treatment. Left untreated, visual disorders can have serious consequences, such as the inability to organize and make sense of visual information along with poor depth perception and problems with balance and posture.

Some of the symptoms following brain injury can include:

Double vision

Reduced field of vision

Dizziness

Loss of balance

Light sensitivity

Dry eyes

Feeling overwhelmed in new or busy environments

These symptoms turn everyday tasks into a challenge. An affected person may lose their ability to drive, struggle to read and lose their eye-hand coordination. In fact, brain injury has been called the “silent epidemic” because public awareness of brain injury is extremely low despite the staggering number of people who are injured each year.

CORTICAL VISION IMPAIRMENT

AN OVERVIEW

Our brain is like complex computer that stores information throughout our lifetime. It is a library of facts, memories and experiences. A Cortical Vision Impairment (CVI) is a is a vision impairment as a result of a large, wide-spread brain injury such as a hypoxic event (lack of oxygen to the brain). A CVI can also result from severe infection, pre-term birth, growth abnormalities as well as accident or physical trauma.

Traditional vision impairments occur due to problems with the eyes. A person with CVI may have both an eye impairment as well as an affected brain. We frequently find that the eyes may be completely normal while the brain struggles to interpret and make sense of images seen. This is because the brain regions necessary for vision have been damaged.  

When these vision centres of the brain are affected, visual information is chaotic, confusing and does not make sense. The child sees a kaleidoscope of vision and colour. Because visual information is confusing and overwhelming, these children tend to “switch-off” and stare at lights.

With motivation, time and effort on the part of carers, CVI individuals can be assisted in seeing. It is important for parents and carers to remember that people with CVI need to learn how to use and interpret visual information. Certain visual areas have been damaged or affected in patients with CVI but new connections can be made. When the visual world is made simpler and more accessible, learning and progress can take place. Huge improvements through the various phases of CVI can take place with the correct interventions.

At Eyetek Optometrists we use The CVI Range to evaluate and monitor the changes in functional vision over time. We use this method to guide our patient instructions, suggest adaptations as well as to incorporate the principles of CVI into daily life. The CVI Range was devised by Dr Christine Roman (PhD) director of the Pediatric VIEW Program at The Children’s Home & Lemieux Family Center in Pittsburgh, USA.

THE NEURO OPTOMETRIC EVALUATION

Brain injuries are traumatic and overwhelming for patients and their families. The good news is that there are tools and strategies that can help.  Eyetek is part of NORA, an international Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association, (NORA), a group of committed individuals from various disciplines whose focus is on advancing the art and science of rehabilitation for the neurologically challenged patient.

During a Neuro-Optometric Evaluation at Eyetek Weltevredenpark and Illovo, we use various techniques and strategies to assist patients with a wide variety of vision problems after a neurological insult.