Brain Based Vision Impairment

Brain based vision impairment can occur at any time from prebirth through to adulthood. In children, the main cause of brain based vision impairment is premature birth. Other causes include incidents that affect the brain at birth i.e. hyperglycaemia, hypoxia, closed head injuries. In adults, brain based visual impairment can be caused by stroke, traumatic brain injuries and degenerate brain conditions i.e. MS, dementia. In both adults and children, brain based visual issues may impact both the primary visual functions (visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, oculomotor control, visual field) and the higher or perceptual visual functions. While a visual field loss may be compensated for with scanning techniques (low vision training), issues with the higher visual functions are more complex. Brain based visual impairment caused by injury can also impact on other functions too, such as memory, balance, insight, stamina, thinking, planning, decision-making, understanding of spatial information, communication and hearing. Neuro O&M Specialists have undertaken further study into the anatomy and function of the brain and the cognitive, emotional and perceptual changes which commonly result from brain injury.

Articles

CVI (American Printing House for the Blind)

What is Cortical Visual Impairment?

Textbooks

Cortical Visual Impairment: An Approach to Assessment and Intervention (Christine Roman Lantzy)

Vision and the Brain: Understanding Cerebral Visual Impairment in Children (Gordon Dutton)

Webinars

CVI and the Evaluation of Functional Vision

PaTTAN CVI Assessment courses

Conversations about CVI

Optimizing Support for Children with CVI, TSBVI

Functional vision assessment and beyond

Assessment & Intervention Tools

The Visual Assessment Scale (VAS CVI-PIMD)