Product: The Vestibular-Vision Connection and Common Vision Problems and Symptoms Following a Concussion.
Top Line: Developed by the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA) and the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA), Vestibular-Vision Connection is an education piece that offers helpful information for those individuals who may be experiencing visual dysfunctions contributing to dizziness and balance problems. Additionally, to assist concussion sufferers and their caregivers, as well as health care professionals who may see or be treating a patient following a concussion or other traumatic brain injury, NORA and Concussion Legacy Foundation have developed an educational resource titled Common Vision Problems and Symptoms Following a Concussion.
Close Up: These materials will provide eyecare professionals with the tools to help their patients through the post-concussion recovery phase. Vision plays a significant role in our ability to balance, orient ourselves in space, and process movement of things in our environment. The vestibular (inner-ear balance) system and the visual system coordinate with each other through brain pathways in order to control the eyes’ ability to maintain a visual gaze on a single location. This connection, known as the vestibulo-ocular reflex, has a critical role in keeping the eyes still during head motion and helping us maintain our balance. Following a concussion, there is often an interruption in communication between the eyes and the brain. Studies show that at least 50 percent of traumatic brain injury patients suffer from visual dysfunctions, with one such study finding a 90 percent incidence of post-trauma visual complications.
Vital Stats: Eyecare providers can access the documents from NORA’s Patient Caregivers Resource here.
noravisionrehab.org