Early intervention for children with cerebral visual impairment: preliminary results.

According to the ophthalmological literature, cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is defined as a temporary or permanent visual loss caused by a disturbance of the posterior visual pathways and/or occipital lobes. The study of CVI is still a new field, and diagnosis is frequently difficult and sometimes may not even be considered. Different studies have taken into account various aetiologies of CVI. Neurological problems are common findings in children with CVI and this population may also show ocular abnormalities. The present study reviews the clinical history of 76 patients who have been examined at the Robert Hollman Foundation, Cannero, Italy, over the past 3 years. Infants and children were studied from birth to 4 years of age from both a neurological and an ophthalmological point of view. Taking the development of the children into account, responses to visual stimulation were analysed in order to compare the behaviours exhibited by the sample with those described in literature.