Visual Deficits and Treatment Following a Stroke

People recovering from a cerebral vascular accident (CVA), commonly known as stroke, no longer have to be saddled with visual deficits. There are new and progressive treatments to help make their lives better as well as the lives of their spouse or caregiver. 

People who have had strokes can suffer many visual problems. These problems include:

• visual field loss
• double vision
• loss of depth perception
• poor visual/fine motor skills
• reduced gross motor skills
• increased light sensitivity
• reduced visual perceptual abilities

These visual problems make driving, reading, walking and any daily activities difficult and frustrating for the patient. This in turn leads to psychological effects and can make the patient anxious and reduce self- esteem.  Any one of these visual deficits or a combination of them can lead to extreme difficulty in getting back to everyday life. 

Vision rehabilitation therapy is performed with both inpatients and outpatients and has been proven extremely beneficial. The treatment consists of computer-generated therapies that address the patient’s specific deficits. Prisms and vestibular programs are also incorporated into the therapy programs.

Many patients at Good Shepherd have successfully taken part in the new vision program and have returned to activities of daily living.

For more information, contact Neurorehabilitation at Good Shepherd, 610-776-3247.