As a result of the increasing incidence of Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and the subsequent incidence of neurological vision deficits, Neuro Vision Technology has developed a unique assessment and training package for people with neurological vision impairment.
This product is of interest to Neurologists; Rehabilitation Practitioners; General Practitioners; Ophthalmologists; Optometrists; Orthoptists; Neuro-psychologists; Physiotherapists; Speech Pathologists; Occupational Therapists; Psychologists; Teachers; Rehabilitation Carers; Family; Carers & Orientation & Mobility Instructors.
The programme objectives are to assess and train a person with Neurological Vision Impairment to maximise the use of their remaining vision and to become as independent as possible.
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Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is damage to the brain by a variety of causes; hypoxia, infection, tumour, substance abuse, degenerative neurological diseases, strokes or head trauma.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) implies trauma to the head and brain caused by an external force. ABI can cause physical, cognitive, psychosocial and sensory impairments which may lead to restrictions in various areas of a person's life and lifestyle.
Between 30 - 35 % of the population diagnosed with ABI or TBI suffer from associated neurological vision deficit.
Each year 1.5 million Americans sustain a TBI resulting in more than 4,000 individuals on a daily basis. Recent reports also indicate 60 - 67% of injured U.S. soldiers sent from Iraq to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.
Over 27,000 Australians are hospitalized with TBI and over 52,000 hospital cases with a diagnosis of stroke every year. An additional 15,163 were hospitalized with other non-traumatic acquired brain injury.
Every year over 100,000 people in England and Wales have first strokes. Stroke is the largest single cause of severe disability with many more suffering from acquired brain injury.
Patients suffering from a Neurological Vision Impairment have severe rehabilitation needs that are not currently being met through international health services.
UK Fife Society for the Blind-Insight is the first agency outside of Australia to recognise the need to provide an intensive vision rehabilitation therapy for patients suffering from a neurological vision impairment following Acquired Brain Injury. FSB approached Neuro Vision Technology - Australia , to purchase the unique software, assessment and training equipment and a supervised training package for three of their experienced Rehabilitation Officers. Insight have received over 100 referrals in the last 12 months the majority from Acute Hospitals , Rehabilitation Hospitals and Occupational Therapists.
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USA In October 2006 NVT trained two Orientation & Mobility Instructors and one Occupational Therapist at the Dept of Defence/Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care Center to work with patients in the Polytrauma Unit, Brain Injury Unit and Western Blind Rehabilitation Center. Patients included US troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan . NVT training staff are returning to the VA in Palo Alto in February and March 2007 to finalise the training and supervision of rehabilitation staff.
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Online training Discussions are currently underway with the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Graduate Studies to develop online and summer school training modules which will be available internationally. The first two modules will include:
It is envisaged that Modules One and Two will be available on line by the commencement of the US academic year in August 2007. Modules One and Two can be taken independently of the whole training package by Vision Rehabilitation staff and related professionals who wish to increase their knowledge in the field of neurological vision impairment.
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The NVT Assessment and Training Package:
The NVT software was developed for the collection and management of client data and for conducting standardized assessments and training sequences. In addition the software collects assessment and training data and is able to determine outcome measures of client improvement.
The NVT Scanning Device is an assessment tool for determining the presence of Homonymous Hemianopia, visual field loss, visual processing deficits and visuo-spatial neglect. Following the assessment an individualized intervention plan is developed in conjunction with the client, caregiver and/or referral source. R ealistic goals are developed taking into consideration cognitive and functional deficits.
The NVT Scanning Device has a software training programme of standardized compensatory scanning exercises that will enhance the client's functional use of their residual vision. The training improves scanning into the deficit field, provides exercises to promote visual memory, spatial reasoning and to improve saccadic and pursuit movements .
The NVT Scanning Device is portable and training can be carried out in the Acute Hospital , Rehabilitation Hospital or Client Home.
Once the training on the NVT Scanning Device has been completed successfully so that scanning has become a rote learned pattern, skills are gradually transferred to a variety of environments using standard Orientation and Mobility methodology. These environments may include employment, leisure and recreational sites which would include: local facilities, road crossings, supermarket shopping and public transport.
The objectives of the Neurological Vision Impairment - Vision Therapy Programmes are to train a person with Neurological Vision Impairment to maximize the use of their remaining vision and to become as independent and safe as possible.
Neurological Vision Impairment
Neurological Vision Impairment (NVI) can occur when the visual processing areas of the brain are damaged. The most common cause of neurological vision impairment is stroke or head trauma.
Most people's concept of vision impairment relates to ocular disease such as Cataracts, Glaucoma or even loss of the eye itself. NVI is much more complex and difficult to understand. This is in part due to the way that our brain receives and processes visual information.
The most common field loss is Homonymous Hemianopia where damage to one hemisphere of the brain leads to a vision loss of the same half of the visual field as seen in both eyes.
Testimonials
Read first hand accounts from NVT Scanning Device patients:
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