OBJECTIVE: A variety of rehabilitation strategies have been tried in patients with chronic hemianopia and quadrantanopia. The authors compared 2 approaches of blind field exploration in those with recent onset of disease. METHODS: A total of 20 patients with visual field defects were studied between 3 and 24 weeks primarily after stroke. Patients were randomly assigned to separate groups performing either audiovisual stimulation training or a visual stimulation training (20 sessions, each lasting 30 minutes). Patients were evaluated before and after the training with visual exploration tests for reading and object search; eye movements were analyzed with electro-oculography, and a questionnaire was completed by an occupational therapist about impairment in daily life activities. RESULTS: Both groups improved their performance after compensatory eye movement training. Comparisons between the 2 forms of training revealed a significantly greater improvement for all outcome variables for the audiovisual group. In particular audiovisual stimulation significantly increased the number and amplitude of saccades. CONCLUSIONS:Multimodal audiovisual exploration training appears to be more effective than exploration training alone and may improve function beyond spontaneous recovery soon after ischemia of the occipital lobe.
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OBJECTIVE: A variety of rehabilitation strategies have been tried in patients with chronic hemianopia and quadrantanopia. The authors compared 2 approaches of blind field exploration in those with recent onset of disease. METHODS: A total of 20 patients with visual field defects were studied between 3 and 24 weeks primarily after stroke. Patients were randomly assigned to separate groups performing either audiovisual stimulation training or a visual stimulation training (20 sessions, each lasting 30 minutes). Patients were evaluated before and after the training with visual exploration tests for reading and object search; eye movements were analyzed with electro-oculography, and a questionnaire was completed by an occupational therapist about impairment in daily life activities. RESULTS: Both groups improved their performance after compensatory eye movement training. Comparisons between the 2 forms of training revealed a significantly greater improvement for all outcome variables for the audiovisual group. In particular audiovisual stimulation significantly increased the number and amplitude of saccades. CONCLUSIONS: Multimodal audiovisual exploration training appears to be more effective than exploration training alone and may improve function beyond spontaneous recovery soon after ischemia of the occipital lobe.
Authors: Neil M Dundon; Caterina Bertini; Elisabetta Làdavas; Bernhard A Sabel; Carolin Gall Journal: Front Behav Neurosci Date: 2015-07-27 Impact factor: 3.558
Authors: Angelica Maria Tinga; Johanna Maria Augusta Visser-Meily; Maarten Jeroen van der Smagt; Stefan Van der Stigchel; Raymond van Ee; Tanja Cornelia Wilhelmina Nijboer Journal: Neuropsychol Rev Date: 2015-10-21 Impact factor: 7.444