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Clinical Trial
. 2013:2013:719096.
doi: 10.1155/2013/719096. Epub 2013 Sep 9.

A prospective profile of visual field loss following stroke: prevalence, type, rehabilitation, and outcome

Fiona J Rowe  1 , David Wright, Darren Brand, Carole Jackson, Shirley Harrison, Tallat Maan, Claire Scott, Linda Vogwell, Sarah Peel, Nicola Akerman, Caroline Dodridge, Claire Howard, Tracey Shipman, Una Sperring, Sonia Macdiarmid, Cicely Freeman
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

A prospective profile of visual field loss following stroke: prevalence, type, rehabilitation, and outcome

Fiona J Rowe et al. Biomed Res Int. 2013.

Abstract

Aims: To profile site of stroke/cerebrovascular accident, type and extent of field loss, treatment options, and outcome.

Methods: Prospective multicentre cohort trial. Standardised referral and investigation protocol of visual parameters.

Results: 915 patients were recruited with a mean age of 69 years (SD 14). 479 patients (52%) had visual field loss. 51 patients (10%) had no visual symptoms. Almost half of symptomatic patients (n = 226) complained only of visual field loss: almost half (n = 226) also had reading difficulty, blurred vision, diplopia, and perceptual difficulties. 31% (n = 151) had visual field loss as their only visual impairment: 69% (n = 328) had low vision, eye movement deficits, or visual perceptual difficulties. Occipital and parietal lobe strokes most commonly caused visual field loss. Treatment options included visual search training, visual awareness, typoscopes, substitutive prisms, low vision aids, refraction, and occlusive patches. At followup 15 patients (7.5%) had full recovery, 78 (39%) had improvement, and 104 (52%) had no recovery. Two patients (1%) had further decline of visual field. Patients with visual field loss had lower quality of life scores than stroke patients without visual impairment.

Conclusions: Stroke survivors with visual field loss require assessment to accurately define type and extent of loss, diagnose coexistent visual impairments, and offer targeted treatment.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Frequency indicates the numbers of patients with age of onset of stroke.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Visual symptoms.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Outcome of visual field loss after followup.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Quality of life measured with Activity of Daily Living Dependent on Vision questionnaire (maximum score of 88 indicating no impact).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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