The PC-based treatment approach was originally developed by Prof. Zihl (1988, 1990) and has since been used with various modifications in 13 studies on a total of 551 patients with homonymous visual field loss and persistent visual disabilities.

The main outcome of saccadic training is a significant improvement in visual search performance accompanied by more efficient oculomotor strategies, and a reduction in visual disability as assessed by standardized questionnaires and behavioural measures. These include measures of improvements in navigation skills and object finding. The efficacy of this treatment approach to improving of visual overview and visual exploration is superior to practice with reading (Schuett et al., 2012), non-specific visual training (Roth et al., 2009), standard occupational therapy (Mödden et al., 2012) or counselling with regards to coping strategies (Zihl, 2011). Importantly, time since brain injury (Zihl, 2011) and age of hemianopic patients (Schuett & Zihl, 2012) do not play a significant role in the treatment effect.

NeuroEyeCoach Clinical Studies

  1. Use of NeuroEyeCoach to improve eye movement efficacy in patients with homonymous visual field loss
    Author: Sahraie, A., Smania, N., Zihl, J.
    Publication: BioMed Research International 2016
     http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/548508/PDFs/Use_of_NeuroEyeCoach_to_Improve_Eye_Movement_Efficacy_in_Patient_with_Homonymous_Visual_Field_Loss.pdf
  2. Does age matter? Age and rehabilitation of visual field disorders after brain injury
    Authors: Schuett, S., Zihl, J.
    Publication: Cortex, 2013, 49(4):1001-12.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22622434
  3. Rehabilitation of reading and visual exploration in visual field disorders: transfer or specificity?
    Authors: Schuett, S., Heywood, C.A., Kentridge, R.W., Dauner, R., Zihl, J.
    Publication: Brain, 2012, 135:912-921.
    http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/135/3/912
  4. A randomized controlled trial comparing 2 interventions for visual field loss with standard occupational therapy during inpatient stroke rehabilitation
    Authors: Mödden, C., Behrens, M., Damke, I., Eilers, N., Kastrup, A., Hildebrandt, H.
    Publication: Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 2012, 26:463-469.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22140199
  5. Rehabilitation of Visual Disorders after brain injury
    Author: Zihl, J.
    Publication: Psychology Press, 2nd Edition, Hove (GB) and New York (USA), 2011.
    http://samples.sainsburysebooks.co.uk/9781136911545_sample_842299.pdf
  6. Changes in stroke epidemiology, prevention, and treatment
    Author: Kinley, S.
    Publication: Circulation, 2011, 124:e494-e496.
    http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/124/19/e494.extract
  7. Compensatory strategies following visual search training in patients with homonymous hemianopia: an eye movement study
    Authors: Mannan, S.K., Pambakian, A.L.M., Kennard, C.
    Publication: Journal of Neurology, 2010, 257:1812-1821.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20556413
  8. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2009 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee
    Authors: Lloyd-Jones, D. et al.
    Publication: Circulation, 2009, 119:e21-e181.
    http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2008/12/15/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.191261.full.pdf
  9. Visual impairment after stroke: Do patients require vision assessment?
    Authors: Rowe, F., Brand, D., Jackson, C.A., Price, A., Walker, L., Harrison, S. et al.
    Publication: Age and Ageing, 2009, 38:188-193.
    http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/2/188.full.pdf+html
  10. Eye-movement training-induced plasticity in patients with post-stroke hemianopia
    Authors: Nelles, G., Pscherer, A., de Greiff, A., Forsting, M., Gerhard, H., Esser, J., Diener, H.C.
    Publication: Journal of Neurology, 2009,256:726-733.
    http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00415-009-5005-x
  11. The frequency of occurrence, types, and characteristics of visual field defects in acquired brain injury: A retrospective analysis.
    Authors: Suchoff, I.B., Kapoor, N., Ciuffreda, K.J., Rutner, D., Han, E., Craig, S.
    Publication: Optometry, 2008, 79:259-265.
    http://www.advancedvisiontherapycenter.com/Documents%20and%20Settings/58/Site%20Documents/Studies/The%20frequency%20of%20occurrence,%20types,%20and%20characteristics%20of%20visual%20field%20defects%20in%20acquired%20brain%20injury.PDF
  12. Homonymous hemianopia in stroke
    Authors: Zhang, X., Kedar, S., Lynn, M.J., Newman, N.J., Biousse, V.
    Publication: Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, 2006, 26:180-183.
    http://journals.lww.com/jneuro-ophthalmology/Fulltext/2006/09000/Homonymous_Hemianopia_in_Stroke.5.aspx#
  13. Stroke incidence and prevalence in Europe: a review of available data
    Authors: Truelsen, T., Piechowski-Jóźwiak, B., Bonita, R., Mathers, C., Bogousslavsky, J., Boysen, G.
    Publication: European Journal of Neurology, 2006, 13:581-598.
    http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1468-1331.2006.01138.x/full
  14. Incidence of neurological vision impairments in patients who suffer from an acquired brain injury
    Author: Clarke, G.
    Publication: International Congress Series, 2005, 1282:365-369.
    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S053151310500970
  15. Saccadic visual search training: A treatment for patients with homonymous hemianopia
    Authors: Pambakian, A.L.M., Mannan, S.K., Hogson, T.L., Kennard, C.
    Publication: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 2004, 75:1443-1448.
    http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/75/10/1443.short
  16. Compensatory visual field training for patients with hemianopia after stroke
    Authors: Nelles, G., Esser, J., Eckstein, A., Tiede, A., Gerhard, H., Diener, H.C.
    Publication: Neuroscience Letters, 2001, 306:189-192.
    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304394001019073
  17. Visual scanning behaviour in patients with homonymous hemianopia
    Author: Zihl, J.
    Publication: Neuropsychologia, 1995, 33:287-303.
    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/002839329400119A
  18. Guided Search 2.0, A revised model of visual search
    Author: Wolfe, J.
    Publication: Psychonomic Bulletin & Review Vol 1 (2), 1994, 202-238.
    http://search.bwh.harvard.edu/new/pubs/guidedsearch2.0.pdf
  19. Rehabilitation of homonymous scotomata in patients with postgeniculate damage of the visual system: Saccadic compensation training
    Authors: Kerkhoff, G., Münssinger, U., Haaf, E., Eberle-Strauss, G., Stögerer, E.
    Publication: Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 1992, 4:245-254.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21551879
  20. Treatment of patients with homonymous visual field disorders [in German]
    Author: Zihl, J.
    Publication: Zeitschrift für Neuropsychologie, 1990, 2:95-101 (no link available)
  21. Sehen (engl.: Vision)
    Author: Zihl, J.
    Publication In: Neuropsychologische Rehabilitation. Grundlagen – Diagnostik – Behandlungsverfahren. von Cramon, D. & Zihl, J. (Eds), 1988, pp. 105-131. Berlin: Springer.

 

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