There was an interesting study published in April 2018 in the journal Disability Rehabilitation. The study examined the scientific literature to identify vision interventions following brain injuries like concussions. It is important to consider vision impacts of brain injuries because concussions and other brain injuries may result in visual deficits that can contribute to poor concentration, headaches, fatigue, problems reading, difficulties engaging in meaningful daily activities, and overall reduced quality of life. The study had three purposes, to identify:
(1) evidence-informed interventions for individuals with visual dysfunction after mild traumatic brain injury;
(2) professions providing these interventions; and
(3) gaps in the literature and areas for further research.
The authors found that there were gaps in the literature but sill identified vision therapy and other treatments provided by optometrists as promising interventions to treat vision problems that result from brain injuries.
Treatments provided by our clinic were mentioned in the study and include: the use of optical devices (e.g., prism glasses), vision or oculomotor therapy (also known as vision therapy) (e.g., targeted exercises to train eye movements), and a combination of optical devices and vision therapy.
Vision therapy has been shown to be every effective in treating the vision problems that often result from brain injuries. For example in a 2008 study by Ciuffreda et al. published in the journal Optometry, 90% of patients with traumatic brain injury who were treated with vision therapy had significant improvement in their eye movement disorders.