A
new computer-based therapy for stroke victims who have suffered partial vision
loss has been developed by Scottish scientists.
Researchers at the
University of Aberdeen have designed an
interactive program that can help sufferers of partial vision loss (hemianopia),
which is caused by damage to the visual pathways in the brain after a stroke.
Their Neuro-Eye Therapy (NeET) uses
a medical device called the Vision Rehabilitation ProgramTM to
repeatedly stimulate blind areas of vision using on-screen patterns.
Clinical trials have
shown that the benefits of the treatment, which mimics the principals of
physiotherapy, include:
- improved
detection of moving/flickering objects in the blind areas
- Increased
navigation skills
- Improved
reading ability
- Increased
concentration span
The program is
available now from the Sight Science unit at the University of Aberdeen.
Dr Arash Sahraie, Reader in
Visual Neuroscience at the University of Aberdeen, explained: "The basic
principles behind Neuro-Eye Therapy are similar to those of physiotherapy
following a stroke. If muscles are affected following brain injury, patients are
asked to repeat a pattern of limb movements in order to improve their mobility.
"In the same way, after
daily use of the Vision Rehabilitation ProgramTM over a six month
period, patients have reported an improvement in their sight as well as a range
of other benefits, including being able to get about more easily, both inside
and outside their homes, and finding reading much less of a struggle."
Those that stand to
benefit from the therapy include the 7,500 people in the UK and 55,000 in Europe
that suffer partial loss of sight every year after a stroke, as well as the tens
of thousands of pre-existing cases of those with vision loss caused by brain
damage.
"The device used in
Neuro-Eye Therapy is simple to set up in the home or office and requires no
prior expertise or experience of computer use," said Dr Sahraie.
"The daily task
involves looking at a computer screen and deciding whether or not an image is
presented within the blind area by pressing a button. Initially patients can
only guess whether the image was presented, but over time patients experience an
improvement in their vision."
As a result of his
work, Dr Sahraie has been short-listed for the The Gannochy Trust Innovation
Award of the Royal Society of Edinburgh - Scotland's top award for innovation.
The winner takes home a cash prize of £50,000 and will be announced in October.
Further information
regarding the therapy can be found at
www.abdn.ac.uk/sightscience
Issued by the Communications Team, Office of External Affairs, University of
Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen.
... Payvand News - 09/17/08 ... --
