Partial blindness after brain injury has been considered non-treatable. To evaluate whether patients with visual-field defects can profit from computer-based visual restitution training (VRT), two independent clinical trials were conducted using patients with optic nerve (n = 19) or post-chiasmatic brain injury (n = 19). In post-chiasma patients, VRT led to a significant improvement (29.4%) over baseline in the ability to detect visual stimuli; in optic nerve patients, the effects were even more pronounced (73.6% improvement). Visual-field enlargements were confirmed by the observation of a visual-field expansion of 4.9 degrees-5.8 degrees of visual angle and improved acuity in optic nerve patients. Ninety five percent of the VRT-treated patients showed improvements, 72.2% confirmed visual improvements subjectively. Patients receiving a placebo training did not show comparable improvements. In conclusion, VRT with a computer program improves vision in patients with visual-field defects and offers a new, cost-effective therapy for partial blindness.
OBJECTIVE -Pupillary autonomic neuropathy is considered an early sign of the development of systemic autonomic neuropathy. Sympathetic denervation is related to the duration of diabetes and the development of systemic autonomic dysfunction. We investigated pupil responsiveness to directly and indirectly acting sympathomimetics in type 1 diabetic patients with and without long-term complications, defined as cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN), peripheral sensomotor neuropathy, retinopathy, and nephropathy, and in healthy subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-A total of 47 randomly chosen type 1 diabetic patients and 20 healthy subjects were selected for this study. Patients were divided into groups determined by whether they had long-term diabetic complications. Pharmacological tests were performed with cocaine 4%, epinephrine 1%, and pholedrine 5% eye drops. Horizontal pupil diameter (HPD) was measured at the beginning of the pharmacological tests and at defined time points after instillation of the eye drops.RESULTS -Statistical analysis showed a significantly smaller HPD in the patients before instillating eye drops (P ϭ 0.011). In particular, the HPD was significantly smaller in the patient group without CAN when compared with healthy subjects (P ϭ 0.004). Maximal cocaine reaction was diminished in the complication group (P Ͻ 0.001). Epinephrine test, visual acuity, ocular pressure, and HbA 1c did not differ in patients with or without long-term complications. The noncomplication group showed no significant differences in pupillary responses as compared with healthy subjects. The complication group showed a smaller HPD (P ϭ 0.022), reduced pupillary responses in the cocaine (P ϭ 0.037) and pholedrine tests (P Ͻ 0.001), and anisocor pupil sizes after instillation of the eye drops (P ϭ 0.034).CONCLUSIONS -Our results clearly show that sympathetic denervation does exist in the pupil of diabetic patients and that it can be rapidly assessed using the cocaine test. These data and the results of the epinephrine test suggest a mixed pre-and postganglionic dysfunction of the sympathetic plexus. The significant smaller HPD in patients without CAN compared with that of healthy subjects could be a sign for early involvement of the pupil function before cardiac manifestation of systemic autonomic diabetic neuropathy.
Ophthalmodynamometry can be relevant for momentary assessment and is not suitable for continuous monitoring. However, this technique can easily be repeated and may be used whenever increased ICP is suspected in a patient suffering from hydrocephalus, brain tumors, or head injury.
A highly significant correlation of the pressure in the central retinal vein and the intracranial cavity was confirmed statistically. An increased pressure of the central retinal vein indicated an elevated ICP, with a probability of 84.2%, whereas a normal pressure of the central retinal vein indicated a normal ICP in 92.8% of patients. Conclusions Venous ophthalmodynamometry is a valuable technique for the noninvasive assessment of ICP.
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