title: Prism therapy and visual rehabilitation in homonymous visual field loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Homonymous visual field defects (HVFD) are common and frequently occur after cerebrovascular accidents. They significantly impair visual function and cause disability particularly with regard to visual exploration. The purpose of this study was to assess a novel interventional treatment of monocular prism therapy on visual functioning in patients with HVFD of varied etiology using vision targeted, health-related quality of life (QOL) questionnaires. Our secondary aim was to confirm monocular and binocular visual field expansion pre- and posttreatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with acquired, documented HVFD were eligible to be included. All patients underwent specific vision-targeted, health-related QOL questionnaire and monocular and binocular Goldmann perimetry before commencing prism therapy. Patients were fitted with monocular prisms on the side of the HVFD with the base-in the direction of the field defect creating a peripheral optical exotropia and field expansion. After the treatment period, QOL questionnaires and perimetry were repeated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve patients were included in the treatment group, 10 of whom were included in data analysis. Overall, there was significant improvement within multiple vision-related, QOL functioning parameters, specifically within the domains of general health (p < 0.01), general vision (p < 0.05), distance vision (p < 0.01), peripheral vision (p < 0.05), role difficulties (p < 0.05), dependency (p < 0.05), and social functioning (p < 0.05). Visual field expansion was shown when measured monocularly and binocularly during the study period in comparison with pretreatment baselines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with HVFD demonstrate decreased QOL. Monocular sector prisms can improve the QOL and expand the visual field in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. evelynoneill@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Evelyn C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: Paul P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: Jeremy C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Logan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D006423:Hemianopsia / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields; D055815:Young Adult