Visual Perception in Kids with Epilepsy

Brain surgery for epilepsy in kids is sometimes necessary to stop seizures and allow children to function. However, brain surgery carries significant risks, including impairment in visual perception. Normal visual function requires not just information sent from the eye, but also image and neurological processing in the brain that allows us to understand and act on that information, or perception. Signals from the eye are first processed in the early visual cortex, a region at the back of the brain that is necessary for sight. They then travel through other parts of the cerebral cortex, enabling recognition of patterns, faces, objects, scenes, and written words. In adults, even if their sight is still present, injury or removal of even a small area of the brain’s vision processing centers can lead to dramatic, permanent loss of perception, making them unable to recognize faces, locations, or to read, for example. But in children, who are still developing, this part of the brain appears able to rewire itself, a process known as plasticity.

According to a study funded by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), due to this neuroplasticity, children can keep full visual perception—the ability to process and understand visual information—after brain surgery for severe epilepsy. Plasticity is a sort of “rewiring” process that can occur in children because they are still developing.

If you, a friend, relative or acquaintance has a child who suffers from visual perception problems please schedule an eye exam at D’Ambrosio Eye Care at 800-325-3937, visit D’Ambrosio Eye Care, or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care provides eye care for patients throughout greater Boston, central and western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 865 Merriam Avenue, Suite 119, Leominster, Massachusetts 01453, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331, 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 and 255 Park Avenue, Suite 606, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609.

Glaucoma & Risk of Falling from Visual Field Damage

The visual field loss resulting from the progression of glaucoma can pose a risk of falling to patients. Falling and the fear of falling (FoF) is a significant risk to patients-especially seniors. Researchers were interested in finding out more about how and when patients with visual field damage from glaucoma were at risk of falling and thus reported on a study in the American Journal of Ophthalmology in which they investigated where glaucoma patients most often fall and how integrated visual field (IVF) damage affects falls rates per year (falls/year) and per step (falls/step) at and away from home.

Their research conclusions for this glaucoma population suggested that a) most falls occurred at home, b) the risk of any step resulting in a fall was higher at home and c) those with greater visual field damage were more likely to fall for each step taken both at and away from home. Based on this, it is important to consider making efforts such as home environmental modification to prevent falls while maintaining physical activity.

If you, a friend, relative or acquaintance suffers from glaucoma and is concerned about falling or fear of falling, please schedule an eye exam at D’Ambrosio Eye Care at 800-325-3937, visit D’Ambrosio Eye Care, or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care provides eye care for patients throughout greater Boston, central and western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 865 Merriam Avenue, Suite 119, Leominster, Massachusetts 01453, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331, 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 and 255 Park Avenue, Suite 606, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609

How Common is Dry Eye Disease?

Dry eye disease (DED) is a multi-factorial ocular surface disease characterized by symptoms of dryness, grittiness, discomfort, irritation, and often visual disturbance. DED can create significant burdens on patients, including problems in social settings, occupational functioning, and reduced quality of life. Known risk factors for DED include female sex, increasing age, and certain systemic health conditions (i.e. autoimmune diseases), and a wide range of medications that are known to result in dry eyes. It is estimated that some 5% to 34% of individuals over 50 suffer from dry eyes depending on the definition of dry eye used to prepare the estimate.

For more information, visit D’Ambrosio Eye Care at 800-325-3937, D’Ambrosio Eye Care, or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help.

D'Ambrosio Eye Care provides eye care for patients throughout greater Boston, central and western Massachusetts with office locations at 479 Old Union Turnpike, Lancaster, Massachusetts 01523, 865 Merriam Avenue, Suite 119, Leominster, Massachusetts 01453, 100 Powder Mill Road, Acton, Massachusetts 01720, 413 Main Street, Athol, Massachusetts 01331, 74 Main Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01440 and 255 Park Avenue, Suite 606, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609.