Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation

Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation addresses the underlying vision conditions that can cause blurred vision, double vision, headaches, eyestrain, visual fatigue, and challenges with processing.


Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation

Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation actively restores visual skills and abilities that are impaired as the result of an acquired brain injury. Our structured treatment program consists of a planned progression of therapy activities using specialized equipment to rehabilitate the neuro-visual system. Performed by skilled therapists, under the direction of a neuro-optometrist, Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation removes visual barriers to clear, comfortable, single vision.

Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation addresses the underlying vision conditions that can cause blurred vision, double vision, headaches, eyestrain, visual fatigue, tracking difficulties, balance dysfunction, and challenges with processing (thinking about what you see). Rehabilitating the visual system provides stable improvements and actual recovery, unlike efforts to teach the person how to compensate for the problem.

Post trauma vision changes are quite complex, which is why your vision rehabilitation needs to be overseen by an optometrist with residency-training in neuro-optometry. This allows for the accurate diagnosis of your vision problem and a guided treatment plan by vision professionals. Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation can be performed in isolation or in conjunction with other treatments, such as prism glasses or strabismus surgery. Additionally, your vision recovery should be coordinated with your overall recovery plan. Re-establishing a sound visual system early in the rehabilitative process provides greater success with overall recovery as well as other aspects of rehabilitation, such as physical therapy, occupational therapy or driving therapy.

Who Can Benefit from Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilition?

Anyone who has experienced an acquired brain injury or neurological change (seizures, neuro-degenerative conditions, etc) should undergo a Neuro-Optometric Assessment. This provides a baseline for visual abilities and identifies vision conditions that can, at times, be subtle in appearance but profound in their impact on daily living.

Post-concussion / Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

The visual system is often impacted as the result of a concussion or traumatic brain injury. Sometimes, visual changes can be quite obvious – resulting in blurred vision or double vision. Other times, vision changes can be more subtle – resulting in headaches, discomfort or fatigue. The timeline for visual recovery is highly variable and, in some cases, may not occur without active intervention. Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation is a proactive treatment to manage vision recovery. Actively addressing vision deficits provides predictable and successful recovery.

Post-stroke Patients

A cerebrovascular accident (stroke) often affects vision and visual processing. A stroke can result in blurred vision, double vision and visual field loss (restricted side vision). Of equal importance, a stroke can also impact visual function – resulting in poor depth perception or spatial awareness, reading or tracking difficulties, headaches and eyestrain, and balance difficulties. Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation is fundamental to overall stroke recovery. Early visual recovery allows for improved vision, improved function in daily life, and makes overall rehabilitation more successful. Treating your vision conditions, which occurs under the direction of a Residency-Trained Neuro-Optometrist, is critical to many of your recovery goals.

Patients With Degenerative Conditions

Progressive, or degenerative, conditions can compromise visual performance and function. Certain conditions directly impact the visual system – causing irregular or restricted eye movements or dry eye. Other conditions indirectly impact visual performance – resulting in poor visual control, poor binocular vision and slowed visual processing speed. Patients with progressive conditions - such as Parkinson's Disease, mitochondrial disease, Lyme disease – often benefit from Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation to address visual changes that cannot be addressed with glasses or surgery. Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation serves to stabilize visual abilities and make the visual system more robust. This allows the patient to better-compensate for fluctuating or degrading visual performance that is vulnerable to fatigue or disease progression.

Individuals in Supportive Therapies

(OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, SPEECH/LANGUAGE THERAPY)

Patients with an acquired brain injury often have a large team of professionals collaborating in their care. Many aspects of rehabilitation rely on a solid visual foundation. Visual-motor tasks (during occupational therapy), visual-vestibular tasks (during physical therapy) and visual-auditory tasks (during speech/language therapy) all require a competent visual system in order to maximize success. Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation re-establishes a stable visual foundation that can then be built on during overall recovery. Failure to address the visual component of the acquired brain injury can limit recovery and prolong the rehabilitative process. Including Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation as part of a multi-disciplinary care plan maximizes success.

Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation can help resolve several visually-related symptoms that result from an acquired brain injury. Vision rehabilitation should be considered for patients whom experience symptoms such as:

Blurred or Fluctuating Vision

Can affect how clearly you see in the distance, at near, or both

Double Vision

Even if experienced occasionally

Visual Comfort

Eye strain or fatigue, especially associated with visually-demanding tasks (such as reading, computer work or driving)

Headaches

Especially at the end of the day or following visual activities such as reading, computer work or driving

Poor Depth Perception

Can impact eye-hand coordination, give a poor sense of space, and make judging speed and distance difficult (such as required while driving)

Tracking or Scanning Difficulties

Often times reported as reading difficulties

Difficulties Processing Visual Information

People often describe feeling that they are 'in a fog' and have difficulties keeping up with the pace of life (can feel overwhelmed)

Balance Difficulties or Dizziness

Poor visual-vestibular abilities can affect a person's balance or lead to a sense of dizziness or feeling 'clumsy'

Which Conditions are Treated with Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation?

Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation addresses many of the functional changes to vision that result from an acquired brain injury. These conditions include:

Accommodative Dysfunction (Eye Focusing Deficits)

Many people, especially younger individuals, notice changes in accommodation following an acquired brain injury. Accommodative dysfunction can result in blurred or fluctuating vision as well as visual discomfort during near tasks (reading, phone, tablet or computer use). Neur

Binocular Vision Dysfunction (Eye Teaming Deficits)

Binocular vision dysfunction is the inability to use both eyes in a coordinated manner. This can result in double vision, headaches, eye strain, poor depth perception, strabismus (one eye turns out/in/up/down) and difficulties performing visual tasks (such as driving or reading). Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation restores stable binocular vision, which results in consistently comfortable single vision throughout daily life.

Oculomotor Dysfunction (Eye Tracking Deficits)

Many people notice impaired eye tracking and reading performance following an acquired brain injury. Eye tracking abilities can be independently deficient or they can be impaired as one aspec of greater visual deficits. For this reason, struggles with eye tracking must be evaluated and treated as part of a competent visual system. Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation restores oculomotor function to age-appropriate levels, which allows for efficient scanning (ex: driving) and tracking (ex: reading) throughout daily life.

Vergence Dysfunction (Convergence Insufficiency, Convergence Excess, Divergence Deficits)

Vergence refers to the coordinated movements of the two eyes to maintain single vision. Vergence dysfunction often results in double vision, visual discomfort, headaches, poor depth perception and impaired balance or coordination. Convergence (the coordinated crossing of the eyes) and divergence (the coordinated uncrossing of the eyes) can be actively improved through vision rehabilitation. Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation restores vergence abilities to age-appropriate levels, which results in consistently comfortable single vision throughout daily life.

Visual Perceptual Deficits (extracting information from visually-presented material)

Visual perception is a skill set that allows one to interpret visual information. While visual input allows one to 'see' what they are looking at, visual perception allows one to understand what they are seeing. Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation restores stable visual input prior to improving how one interprets visual information. This foundation-up approach provides greater success for the patient.

Visual Processing Deficits (quickly being able to 'make sense' of one's visual environment)

Visual processing speed allows one to quickly interpret visual information to then make decisions and react. Visual processing deficits are quite common following an acquired brain injury, making the patient feel that they cannot think clearly or quickly.

Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation improves visual processing speed using biofeedback techniques, which allows the person to keep pace with daily life.

The complexity of visual changes following an acquired brain injury requires the specialized skills of a Residency-Trained Neuro-Optometrist. A Neuro-Optometric Assessment uses specialized testing and equipment to evaluate the visual system, regardless of the patient's level of communication. Based on the results of this examination, the doctor will discuss whether or not Neuro-Optometric Vision Rehabilitation is an appropriate part of your recovery plan.

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