Home-based Treatment of Binocular Eye Dysfunction in Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury
VA Office of Research and Development
Summary
Post-concussive vision symptoms affect many Veterans who have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). One common issue is trouble with near vision, a problem that may persist long after the acute injury. Double vision or difficulty focusing on close objects can affect reading and depth perception. Poor reading can interfere with academic or work performance, and loss of near focusing can affect jobs that require fine motor tasks like machining and electrical work. Even having trouble using a smartphone can have a substantial impact on both work and social function. Near vision impairment after TBI is not well understood, and treatments are limited. The goal of this project is to investigate novel virtual-reality assessments and training games to improve the near vision diagnosis and home-based rehabilitation. Restoring normal near vision function could have a large impact on the fulfillment of Veterans' educational, career, and overall life goals.
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–80 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * U.S. Military Veteran * Place of residence within driving distance of Cleveland, OH * Clinical eye exam within 6 months prior to enrollment and since the most recent TBI (if applicable) and the onset of near vision symptoms (if applicable) * Best-corrected visual acuity 20/25 or better in each eye * Convergence insufficiency (VR-NPC \< 32 deg) Exclusion Criteria: * Neurological condition other than TBI that would affect convergence * History of strabismus, amblyopia, or other binocular vision issues prior to TBI
Interventions
- OtherVirtual-reality convergence training game
The participant plays a custom virtual-reality game that is designed to train convergence.
Location
- Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OHCleveland, Ohio