title: Evaluation of a four month rehabilitation program for stroke patients with balance problems and binocular visual dysfunction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Balance problems and binocular visual dysfunction (BVD) are common problems after stroke, however evidence of an effective rehabilitation method are limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of a four-month rehabilitation program for individuals with balance problems and BVD after a stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  About 40 sessions of 1.5 hours duration over four months with visual therapy and balance rehabilitation, was provided to all 29 participants, aged 18-67 years, in groups of 7-8 individuals. Several measures for BVD, balance, gait, Health Related Quality Of Life (HRQoL) and functional recovery were used at baseline, at the end of training and at a six-month follow up (FU).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found significant improvements in stereopsis, vergence, saccadic movements, burden of binocular visual symptoms, balance and gait speed, fatigue, HRQoL and functional recovery. Moreover, 60% of the participants were in employment at the six-month FU, compared to only 23% before training. All improvements were sustained at the six-month FU.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although a control group is lacking, the evidence suggests that the positive improvement is a result of the combined visual and balance training. The combination of balance and visual training appears to facilitate changes at a multimodal level affecting several functions important in daily life.
authors.affiliation: Brain Injury Center - BOMI, Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Trine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schow
authors.affiliation: Southern College of Optometry, Memphis, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Thomas William
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Teasdale
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Spectroscopy and Chemometrics University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Morten Arendt
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Stroke; balance; visual dysfunction