What is Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation?
What is Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation?
Brain injuries often lead to vision problems that can be easily overlooked during the initial treatment. These issues, which a regular eye examination may not fully reveal, can have significant consequences if left untreated. Hence, the importance of neuro-optometric rehabilitation.
A neuro-optometric rehabilitation optometrist is an eye care professional with advanced training in the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of neurological conditions adversely affecting the visual system. Visual rehabilitation is a comprehensive process that addresses visual, perceptual, and motor disorders. It focuses on strengthening the visual skills needed to perform regular daily activities with increased independence, providing a thorough approach to recovery.
The Link Between Brain Injuries and Vision
Brain injury can affect a person in many ways, extending from physical limitations to changes in perception and cognition. These changes adversely affect how a person functions in their daily living activities. Examples are speech issues and physical changes such as impaired motor function.
The visual system is also often involved and common vision symptoms resulting from brain injury include:
Blurry vision
Double vision
Eye strain
Sensitivity to light
Reading difficulties
Attention and concentration difficulties
Dizziness and imbalance
Poor depth perception
Spatial disorientation
Bumping into objects when walking
Difficulty walking or maintaining posture
Inability to maintain eye contact or focus
Reduction or loss of visual field
A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can also cause specific difficulties with eye movements, such as:
Ocular pursuits (eye tracking ability)
Saccades (shifting gaze quickly from one point to the other)
Accommodative inability (focusing)
Binocular vision (depth perception)
Eye alignment (turn eye)
Injuries and Conditions that Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Can Help Treat
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is an all-encompassing term for damage to the brain, and it is common for an injury to have a profound neurological effect.
Individuals of all ages who have experienced some neurological insult or injury and who are experiencing visual symptoms can benefit from an assessment from a Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Optometrist, an eye care professional with specific training in the diagnosis and treatment/rehabilitation of neurological conditions adversely affecting the visual system.
Who Can Benefit from Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation?
Neuro-optometric rehabilitation can benefit patients of all ages who have or are experiencing neurological issues.
If you have been diagnosed with any of the following conditions or have recently suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you may benefit from a program of neuro-optometric rehabilitation.
Head and traumatic brain injury
Concussion
Sports collision
Stroke and cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
Motor vehicle accident
Physical violence
Cerebral palsy (CP)
Parkinson's disease
Multiple sclerosis
What is Included in the Rehabilitation Plan?
A rehabilitation program is customised to a patient's individual needs, ensuring that each person's unique challenges and goals are addressed. The duration of the program will depend on the severity of the injury and the extent of the visual impairment. The focus is always on the individual, and programs and treatments are tailored to a patient's particular needs.
A neuro-optometric rehabilitation treatment plan targets acquired vision dysfunctions and is determined by standardised diagnostic criteria. Treatment regimens encompass occlusion, lenses, prisms, and other appropriate rehabilitation strategies, such as in-office vision therapy. Some rehabilitation may last weeks or months, while others may continue longer.
What is the Difference Between Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation and Vision Therapy?
Neuro-optometrists generally use therapeutic lenses, prisms, filters, and specific eye exercises to retrain the parts of the brain that have been affected by the neurological condition or incident and improve binocular vision.
Vision therapy is commonly associated with developmental vision problems, such as strabismus (turned eyes), amblyopia (lazy eyes), convergence insufficiency, and a range of accommodation and eye teaming problems. It is directed at improving the visual skills required for clear and comfortable binocular vision. These skills are required for effective learning, reading, school, and sports performance.
Neuro-optometric rehabilitation is an individualised treatment regimen that considers the unique visual deficits of each patient, particularly those resulting from traumatic brain injuries and other neurological insults. This personalised approach is designed to stimulate areas of the brain that are functioning below their highest potential due to brain injury.
How For Eyes Optometrist Can Help
For Eye Optometrist Fremantle offers a range of neuro-optometric vision rehabilitation services.
In addition to use of therapeutic lenses, prisms, filters our fully equipped vision therapy facility includes,
RightEye eye-tracking technology for sophisticated eye movement tracking and diagnosis. The RightEye Sensorimotor System™ records and analyses eye movements to diagnose and address visual tracking impairments.
BTrackS™ for objective balance assessment and rehabilitation. The Balance Tracking System (BTrackS™) utilises "Gold Standard" force plate technology to provide accurate and reliable balance assessment. The BTrackS™ system is a widely used medical device with various balance assessment and rehabilitation applications.
Our vision therapy clinic also incorporates the advanced Vivid Vision virtual reality vision training system, primarily used in vision therapy for developmental vision problems.
