title: Fresnel prisms improve visual perception in stroke patients with homonymous hemianopia or unilateral visual neglect.
abstract: We randomly assigned 39 patients with stroke and homonymous hemianopia or unilateral visual neglect to treatment with 15-diopter plastic press-on Fresnel prisms (n = 18) or to serve as controls (n = 21). Baseline evaluations of visual perception and activities-of-daily-living (ADL) function were similar for both groups. After 4 weeks, the prism-treated group performed significantly better than controls on the following: (1) Motor Free Visual Perception Test; (2) Line Bisection Task; (3) Line Cancellation Task; (4) Harrington Flocks Visual Field Screener; and (5) Tangent Screen Examination. There was no significant difference in Barthel ADL assessment at 4 weeks. Thus, treatment with 15-diopter Fresnel prisms improves visual perception test scores but not ADL function in stroke patients with homonymous hemianopia or unilateral visual neglect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Cornell University Medical College, Burke Rehabilitation Center, White Plains, NY.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kheyfets
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reding
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D006423:Hemianopsia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007909:Lenses; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014787:Vision Tests; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D014794:Visual Fields; D014796:Visual Perception