Vision Rehabilitation: Multidisciplinary Care of the Patient Following Brain Injury PDF

Preface

The purpose of this book is to provide the fi rst textbook in post-brain injury vision rehabilitation for use by both experienced clinicians and students. It was written as a multidisciplinary text. This text should be useful not only for optometrists interested in neuro-optometry, but also for neuro-ophthalmologists, neurologists, physiatrists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and general rehabilitation professionals such as case managers and life-care planners. Guiding vision rehabilitation following acquired brain injury is a challenging task, requiring knowledge of all areas of vision care, from the structure and function of the eye, to the functional organization of visual perception in the brain. It interacts with other rehabilitation efforts, from the patient's ability to understand the world they see, to fi ne visual-motor integration, dizziness, balance, and mobility.

There is a wealth of information on vision rehabilitation in the literature. However, it has been diffi cult for clinicians to access, because it is scattered in pieces, not published in one reference or available from a single source. There is literature for use in the courtroom that provides references to support vision rehabilitation. However, this literature does not tell the doctor how to treat a rehabilitation patient. There are also clinical articles and a few books that give the clinical information for particular aspects of vision rehabilitation, but do not provide a comprehensive overview of the myriad of issues that must be addressed for the patient with brain injury. They also generally do not provide the research that supports intervention. This book was written for both new and experienced clinicians; it brings together the clinical information that will enable them to apply current concepts in vision rehabilitation, and it cites the literature that supports the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies applied.