Repetitive visual stimulation: a neuropsychological approach to the treatment of cortical blindness.
Cortical visual disturbances can occur after traumatic or ischemic brain lesion. Patients mostly suffer from hemianopia. Different treatment approaches in patients with hemianopia are being debated with respect to their effectiveness. For more severely disabled patients with cortical blindness or residual rudimentary vision (RRV) no systematic therapeutic approaches have been reported. In a case study the positive effects of a recently developed repetitive photic stimulation therapy in a patient with RRV after a bioccipital ischemic infarction are presented. The application of this new therapy over several months, supported by treatment with amphetamines led to a statistically significant improvement of different visual functions and a reoccurrence of visual abilities important in daily life. The pathophysiological basis and possible neurorehabilitative consequences that arise from these results are discussed with respect to similar findings in animal experiments.
Widdig
Walter
W
Department of Neurology, Ruhr-University BG-Hospital Bergmannsheil, Bürkle-de-la-Camp-Platz 1, D-47789 Bochum, Germany. widdig.walter@ruhr-uni-bochum.de
Pleger
Burkhard
B
Rommel
Oliver
O
Malin
Jean-Pierre
JP
Tegenthoff
Martin
M
D019575:Blindness, Cortical / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D014796:Visual Perception