PJ ☏ 03-76138468|KL ☏ 012-7087884|PENANG ☏ 010-5418234|SEGAMAT ☏ 07-9318514

Blog

Therapy help stroke patients to see things in 3D

Humans see the world using two eyes, but it’s the brain that merges both sets of images into one. If this process is disrupted, it can cause vision problems. Conditions like stroke, brain injury, or reduced brain oxygen can lead to blurred vision or double vision after a short period of focusing. These issues might also bring on fatigue or headaches. Experts call this issue “binocular fusion dysfunction,” where the brain struggles to merge both eye images into one over time.

Katharina Schaadt, a psychology student at Saarland University, explains, “This greatly reduces their ability to see, impacting their work and daily life.” Tasks like using a computer or reading become very hard. For those needing depth perception, this can lead to partial or complete loss of depth perception, making the world seem flat. In severe cases, they might struggle to reach for things, climb stairs, or walk on uneven ground.

Despite affecting around 20% of stroke patients and up to 50% of those with brain injuries, there’s been no effective treatment. But researchers at Saarland University, led by Anna Katharina Schaadt and Professor Georg Kerkhoff, have developed a new therapy. This involved a six-week training program focusing on improving how both eyes work together. Patients were shown two images slightly apart and trained to merge them by moving their eyes towards the nose while keeping both images in sight. This helped recreate single vision with depth.

They tried this program on eleven stroke patients, nine with brain injuries, and four with reduced brain oxygen. After the training, all participants showed major improvement in merging images and depth perception. Many even regained normal depth vision. “The results stayed strong even after three and six months,” Schaadt noted. Patients who could only work on a computer for 15-20 minutes before treatment found they could manage up to three hours after the therapy.

Beyond helping patients, these findings also shed light on brain function, suggesting that damaged brain areas could recover with the right therapy.

JOURNAL REFERENCES:

  1. Anna-Katharina Schaadt, Lena Schmidt, Caroline Kuhn, Miriam Summ, Michaela Adams, Ruta Garbacenkaite, Eva Leonhardt, Stefan Reinhart, Georg Kerkhoff. Perceptual Relearning of Binocular Fusion After Hypoxic Brain Damage: Four Controlled Single-Case Treatment Studies.. Neuropsychology, 2013; DOI: 10.1037/neu0000019
  2. A.-K. Schaadt, L. Schmidt, S. Reinhart, M. Adams, R. Garbacenkaite, E. Leonhardt, C. Kuhn, G. Kerkhoff. Perceptual Relearning of Binocular Fusion and Stereoacuity After Brain Injury. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 2013; DOI: 10.1177/1545968313516870

Comment: I am so sorry to tell you, this isn’t NEW for us as a Neuro-Developmental and Behavioral Optometry, we did this for decade already.

MORE BLOGS

RELATED POSTS

Anxiety disorders affect millions of people each year. Surprisingly, specific vision issues can spark anxious thoughts and feelings.

Anxiety disorders affect millions of people each year. Surprisingly, specific vision issues can spark anxious thoughts and feelings.

Jan 14, 2024

Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD) is a condition that can occur after a traumatic brain injury and can cause anxiety and panic attacks because the eyes are not aligned properly. Symptoms of BVD include seeing double, being sensitive to light, having trouble judging distances, difficulty reading, having a shorter attention span, feeling dizzy or disoriented, struggling to navigate through crowds, feeling anxious, experiencing nausea, and having pain in the neck and shoulders. In severe cases, BVD can lead to agoraphobia. Medications for anxiety may not help with BVD-related anxiety and could make symptoms worse. A Functional Vision Evaluation can diagnose BVD, and treatment involves using special lenses called prism spatial lenses to realign vision. This can reduce symptoms by 30-50% immediately and up to 70-80% with consistent use. Neuro-optometric rehabilitation, along with prism lenses, can address the underlying issue.

Binocular Vision Dysfunction

Binocular Vision Dysfunction

Jan 14, 2024

Binocular Vision Dysfunction (BVD) is a condition where the eyes do not work together properly, which can cause double vision or vertical heterophoria. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, trouble reading, and feeling anxious in crowded places. It is recommended that children and adults, especially those with difficulty reading, head injuries, or developmental delays, have regular eye exams. These exams assess how well the eyes work together, focus, and move.

Is Panic Attacks related to vision?

Is Panic Attacks related to vision?

Jan 13, 2024

Panic attacks, marked by intense anxiety and physical symptoms, are linked to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system. The vagus nerve plays a key role in these responses, with techniques like the Valsalva maneuver helping regulate heart rate and blood pressure. Vergence therapy, which involves voluntary eye convergence, is being explored as a potential treatment. The oculo-cardiac reflex, known to influence heart rate, is also significant in this context.