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"Vision dysfunctions are among the most common sequelae associated with acquired brain injury (BI). The anatomy and physiology of the vision system, the vascular and neural network of the brain, and the dynamics of head trauma all contribute to the high incidence of visual dysfunction with brain injury. Causes of brain injury which may contribute to visual dysfunction include blunt, penetrating, or acceleration/deceleration trauma; suffocation/hypoxia; pharmacological toxicity; and cerebral vascular accidents.
Since activities of daily living involve effective integration of visual information processing and visual motor performance, the BI patient is frequently handicapped as a consequence of disruption in the visual system.
The patient with BI should be evaluated by an optometrist who has training and clinical experience in the care of eye and vision problems related to brain injury. As a member of, or consultant to, the patient's rehabilitation team, the optometrist is able to relate specific visual dysfunctions to patient's symptoms and performance in order to provide remediation and guidance. This will increase the effectiveness of the overall rehabilitation program, which is often highly dependent upon vision. Optometrists provide essential vision services in the rehabilitation process of the patient with brain injury, including diagnosis, treatment and consultation in order to maximize the patient's outcome. The ultimate goal of these services is to improve the patient's quality of life."
St. Francis Healthcare Services is located in Wilmington. "St. Francis Healthcare Services, a member of Catholic Health East, under the sponsorship of Hope ministries, is a compassionate, healing presence in our community, providing state-of-the-art, person-centered health services that enable those we care for to achieve their optimal quality of life, and those who serve to achieve their highest potential. ...The goal of rehabilitation is to return a patient to normal functioning or as close as normal as possible. There are many members of a rehabilitation team. A doctor who specializes in rehabilitation medicine is called a physiatrist. Other members of the team can be physical therapists, speech and occupational therapists as well as nurses and other caregivers. An important member of the rehab team is the patient."
