Data Supporting Visual Field Improvements in Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors After Vision Restoration Therapy (VRT)
Results released at the International Stroke Conference in San Francisco indicate that more than 75% of patients reported visual field improvements
NovaVision presented data today at the 2007 International Stroke Conference indicating the efficacy of NovaVision VRT(TM) Vision Restoration Therapy(TM) (VRT) as an effective rehabilitation intervention for patients with visual field defects from stroke and traumatic brain injury. This is the first study of VRT among patients in the United States and the results confirm previous research. VRT is based on the concept of neuroplasticity - the brain's ability to adapt and form new connections to compensate for injury.
The data indicate that 122 of the 161 study participants from 16 centers who underwent a six-module course (one module represents nearly four weeks of therapy) of VRT had a 3% or greater improvement in stimulus detection on visual field testing. The results of the study further challenge the traditional view that the brain is hard wired and unable to recover after insults. Previous studies suggest that people who regain 3% or more of their visual field have functional improvements that may include enhanced quality of life, better reading, watching television and athletics, although functional outcomes were not measured in this study.
The primary outcome measures were the proportion of detected stimuli and the border shift between the seeing and blind fields after VRT. The study found that better performance after three modules was shown to predict a greater chance for larger vision field expansion after VRT and established that factors such as age, type of visual defect and time of injury were found to have no impact on the outcome of the therapy.
"The longstanding view of the brain was that it was hard coded and immutable, and that any brain injury suffered after childhood would remain permanent," said Jose Romano, M.D., Associate Professor Neurology, Cerebrovascular Division at the University of Miami. "The U.S. data validate previous European studies that demonstrate VRT's ability to restore sight to people who have been left partially blind due to stroke or brain trauma. It's an exciting development in the field of neuroplasticity and a source of hope for the 1 to 2 million traumatic brain injury and stroke survivors in the United States who suffer from visual defects."
NovaVision VRT is the first and only FDA-cleared, patented, non-invasive medical device that can enhance vision in people who have been left partially blind due to stroke or brain trauma. Treatment consists of comprehensive diagnostic testing that maps the seeing and non-seeing areas of vision and creates a customized therapy that participants perform daily at home for six to seven months. Patients gradually improve their vision through the repeated detection of a specific pattern of stimulation directed at the border between the seeing and blind areas of the visual field.
