title: Functional vision in children with perinatal brain damage.
abstract: Many authors have discussed the effects of visual stimulations on visual functions, but there is no research about the effects on using vision in everyday activities (i.e. functional vision). Children with perinatal brain damage can develop cerebral visual impairment with preserved visual functions (e.g. visual acuity, contrast sensitivity) but poor functional vision.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to discuss the importance of assessing and stimulating functional vision in children with perinatal brain damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed visual functions (grating visual acuity, contrast sensitivity) and functional vision (the ability of maintaining visual attention and using vision in communication) in 99 children with perinatal brain damage and visual impairment. All children were assessed before and after the visual stimulation program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our first assessment results showed that children with perinatal brain damage had significantly more problems in functional vision than in basic visual functions. During the visual stimulation program both variables of functional vision and contrast sensitivity improved significantly, while grating acuity improved only in 2.7% of children. We also found that improvement of visual attention significantly correlated to improvement on all other functions describing vision.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therefore, functional vision assessment, especially assessment of visual attention is indispensable in early monitoring of child with perinatal brain damage.
authors.affiliation: Mali dom - Zagreb , Center for Rehabilitation, Zagreb , Croatia and.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alimović
authors.forename: Nikolina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jurić
authors.forename: Vlatka Mejaški
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Bošnjak
mesh_terms: D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014787:Vision Tests / Q000379:methods; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Cerebral visual impairment; early visual development; infants; visual impairment; visual stimulation