EDITORIAL

Visual restoration therapy

Disappointing results from Nova Vision’s visual restoration therapy

J C Horton

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
J C Horton
UCSF Department of Ophthalmology 10 Kirkham Street, K301 San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; horton@itsa.ucsf.edu

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We should refocus our search for new treatments in a more fruitful direction

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Keywords: hemianopia; training; scanning laser ophthalmoscope; visual restoration therapy; 270; 263

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Lesions posterior to the optic chiasm produce homonymous visual field loss—overlapping scotomas in the nasal field of one eye and the temporal field of the other eye. Patients retain normal acuity, but find their lives changed forever. A homonymous hemianopia, when complete, makes safe driving impossible and reading a chore. Although some patients experience partial, spontaneous improvement following the acute phase of an event, most remain handicapped by permanent field loss. No treatment was available before the recent advent of visual restoration therapy.

In a sensational series of reports, Sabel and colleagues (Kasten et al) have described partial recovery of homonymous visual field defects by intensive computer based rehabilitation therapy.^1–3 Their approach is remarkably simple. Patients practise perimetry at home for an hour a day, 6 days a week, for 6 months, using a software program loaded on their personal computer. A chin support is used . . . [Full text of this article]

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• Bowers, A. R., Keeney, K., Peli, E. (2008). Community-Based Trial of a Peripheral Prism Visual Field Expansion Device for Hemianopia. Arch Ophthalmol 126: 657-664 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
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• Caplan, L R, Firlik, A, Newman, N J, Pless, M, Romano, J G, Schatz, N (2005). Vision restoration therapy. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 89: 1229-1229 [Full Text]  
• Horton, J C (2005). Vision restoration therapy: confounded by eye movements. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 89: 792-794 [Full Text]  
• Sabel, B A, Kenkel, S, Kasten, E (2005). Vision restoration therapy. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 89: 522-524 [Full Text]  

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Homonymous hemianopia and neuroplasticity

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BJO Online, 10 Mar 2005 [Full text]