Functional vision and cognition in infants with congenital disorders of the peripheral visual system

Abstract

Lack of vision is associated with delayed early-object manipulative abilities and concepts; 'form' vision appeared to support early developmental advance. This paper provides baseline characteristics for cross-sectional and longitudinal follow-up investigations in progress. A methodological strength of the study was the representativeness of the cohort according to national epidemiological and population census data.

Home‐based early intervention in infants and young children with visual impairment using the Developmental Journal: longitudinal cohort study

“…Although the intervention sample was smaller than the total OPTIMUM cohort, comparisons with the non‐included participants suggested that it was representative of the cohort and also of the general clinical population . The sample was highly heterogeneous in individual CDPVS disorders, with a quarter with additional brain complexity (‘complex’ CDPVS) or a quarter with PVI (light perception at best) or a small percentage with both.…”

“…Table presents the main visual disorder categories and vision levels of the Total sample ( n =54). For further details of cohort characteristics and population representativeness at baseline see Dale et al . No significant differences were found between the baseline child and demographic characteristics (T1) of those included in the main analysis ( n =54) and those in the remaining OPTIMUM cohort who were not included ( n =36), other than slightly younger chronological age in the ‘non‐included’ sample at T1 (see Table SI, online supporting information).…”

“…In relation to the study's strengths, the national cohort was recruited prospectively and was broadly representative of child ophthalmological and parent demographic indicators with low child attrition rates at follow‐up. There was high study compliance of ascertained practitioners, who were qualified and expert in education of children with visual impairment and had primary interventionist responsibility to infants with visual impairment.…”

Brain structure in children with congenital visual disorders and visual impairment

“…Third, no child had profound visual impairment without vision at all, which may have very specific constraining effects on development and associated brain organization. 26,27 In conclusion, the current study provides first evidence that SVI is associated with reduced white matter microstructural organization in tracts of the brain's visual system (optic radiations, posterior corpus callosum) and differences in thalamus volume in mid-childhood. These findings suggest that the organization of central visual structures is influenced by the quantity or quality of sensory visual inputs during development before mid-childhood.…”

Parenting stress, anxiety, and depression in mothers with visually impaired infants: a cross‐sectional and longitudinal cohort analysis

“…In the literature, children with SVI show improving levels of vision during the second year of life 1 and related advances in cognitive function than children with PVI. 1,14,17 These positive changes are potentially protective and may have helped mothers come to terms with their child's disability and to adapt more easily to their role as a parent of a young child with visual impairment. 16 This may potentially account for the vision-level group differences in parenting stress.…”