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Published on: January 14, 2020
Improvement of visual search after audiovisual exploration training in hemianopic patients
Ingo Keller1, Gudrun Lefin-Rank
1Schoen Clinic, Bad Aibling, Germany. IKeller@Schoen-Kliniken.de
Objective:
A variety of rehabilitation strategies have been tried in patients with chronic hemianopia and quadrantanopia. The authors compared 2 approaches of blind field exploration in those with recent onset of disease.
Methods:
A total of 20 patients with visual field defects were studied between 3 and 24 weeks primarily after stroke. Patients were randomly assigned to separate groups performing either audiovisual stimulation training or a visual stimulation training (20 sessions, each lasting 30 minutes). Patients were evaluated before and after the training with visual exploration tests for reading and object search; eye movements were analyzed with electro-oculography, and a questionnaire was completed by an occupational therapist about impairment in daily life activities.
Results:
Both groups improved their performance after compensatory eye movement training. Comparisons between the 2 forms of training revealed a significantly greater improvement for all outcome variables for the audiovisual group. In particular audiovisual stimulation significantly increased the number and amplitude of saccades.
Conclusions:
Multimodal audiovisual exploration training appears to be more effective than exploration training alone and may improve function beyond spontaneous recovery soon after ischemia of the occipital lobe.
