Rehabilitation of Visual Function After Brain Injury

Trial details

Who runs it

University Hospital, Gentofte, Copenhagen

Trial code

NCT03160131

Record updated

2024. december 9.

Original description

In Denmark, about 120,000 people suffer from brain damage, of whom approx. 75,000 with brain damage after stroke. Serious and often lasting vision impairments affect 20% to 35% of people after stroke. Vision is the most important sense in humans, and even smaller permanent injuries can drastically reduce quality of life.Read full original descriptionShow less

Rehabilitation of Visual Function After Brain Injury - Effect of Neuro Vision Technology (NVT)

In Denmark, about 120,000 people suffer from brain damage, of whom approx. 75,000 with brain damage after stroke. Serious and often lasting vision impairments affect 20% to 35% of people after stroke. Vision is the most important sense in humans, and even smaller permanent injuries can drastically reduce quality of life.

Vision impairments after brain damage inhibits rehabilitation and enhances other invalidating effects. Reduced vision results in impaired balance, increased risk of serious falls, increased support needs, reduced quality of life, and impaired ability to perform activities of daily living. Restoration of visual field impairments occur only to a small extent during the first month after brain damage, and therefore the time window for spontaneous improvements is very limited. Hence, brain-impaired persons with visual impairment will most likely experience chronically impaired vision already 4 weeks after brain injury and the need for visual compensatory rehabilitation is substantial.

Neuro Vision Technology (NVT) is an supervised training course where people with visual impairments are trained in compensatory techniques using special equipment. Through the NVT process, the individual's vision problems are carefully investigated and personal data is used to organize individual training sessions that practice the individual in coping with situations that cause problems in everyday life.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether rehabilitation with NVT can cause significant and lasting improvement in functional capacity in persons with chronic visual impairments after brain injury. Improving eyesight is expected to increase both physical and mental functioning, thus improving the quality of life. Participants included in the project will be investigated in terms of both visual and mental functions, including quality of life, cognition and depression. Such an investigation has not been performed previously and can have a significant impact on vision rehabilitation both nationally and internationally.

Inclusion: 14 years or older with brain injury; Persons who experience significant vision impairment; Eye sight 6/18 or better; The time from symptoms onset to study inclusion is between 6 weeks and 9 months.

Exclusion: Significant abuse of alcohol or euphoric or narcotic drugs; Inability to understand Danish or with communication disorders that prevent participation in tests; Terminal disorder, other progressive disorder; Serious disorders such as mental illness, especially severe depression; New brain injury or other significant disorders emerging after study inclusion; Impaired vision not due to brain damage, where the disorder is not considered to be permanent or where the field of vision does not cause significant disability; Cognitive dysfunction; Persons with anosognosia or severe neglect; Inability to move independently at least 35 meters with or without assistance, including wheelchairs.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03160131