Newsday’s Wellness Magazine Features NovaVision VRT as a Rehab Option to Restore Neurological Vision Loss
10/09/2007
Reclaiming Your Vision
By Mo Fouladvand, M.D.
A stroke or brain injury can leave a person with significant neurological damage, often impacting essential functions such as speech, mobility and vision. Physical and speech therapy have been the standard methods for rehabilitation for years, but up until recently, there was nothing for restoring vision. Millions of Americans have lost their ability to read, write, drive, watch TV or move around comfortably, greatly jeopardizing their independence. But now there’s good news: an FDA-cleared medical treatment, NovaVision VRT™ Vision Restoration Therapy, offers hope of restoring lost vision — without surgery or pharmaceuticals.
For years, the medical community believed the brain was hardwired” and that damage to neurons was permanent. However, research in neuroplasticity shows the opposite, that the brain can train itself to regain lost function by stimulating specific neurons in a pattern over a period of time. This research was published in highly-respected medical journals by leading neurosurgeons and euroopthalmologists. NovaVision VRT is based on this science.
NovaVision VRT is a rehabilitative therapy customized for each patient. Before beginning treatment, patients undergo an initial diagnostic to determine the specifics of their visual field deficits. After the results are analyzed, patients receive their own device (which appears like a computer screen) that can be used in their home. To achieve maximum results, users should be diligent about their therapy, undergoing two, 20-minute sessions daily. Every four weeks for six months, patients receive a more advanced version of the program, designed to correlate with their progress.
Clinical results reported at the 2007 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting demonstrated that more than 70 percent of trial participants showed improved vision after six months of therapy.
Mo Fouladvand, M.D., Neuroophthalmologist and Assistant Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology at NYU medical center and NYU School of Medicine, specializes in evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of neurological and systemic disorders that affect the eye, brain or both.
For years, the medical community believed the brain was hardwired” and that damage to neurons was permanent. However, research in neuroplasticity shows the opposite, that the brain can train itself to regain lost function by stimulating specific neurons in a pattern over a period of time. This research was published in highly-respected medical journals by leading neurosurgeons and euroopthalmologists. NovaVision VRT is based on this science.
NovaVision VRT is a rehabilitative therapy customized for each patient. Before beginning treatment, patients undergo an initial diagnostic to determine the specifics of their visual field deficits. After the results are analyzed, patients receive their own device (which appears like a computer screen) that can be used in their home. To achieve maximum results, users should be diligent about their therapy, undergoing two, 20-minute sessions daily. Every four weeks for six months, patients receive a more advanced version of the program, designed to correlate with their progress.
Clinical results reported at the 2007 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting demonstrated that more than 70 percent of trial participants showed improved vision after six months of therapy.
Mo Fouladvand, M.D., Neuroophthalmologist and Assistant Professor of Neurology and Ophthalmology at NYU medical center and NYU School of Medicine, specializes in evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of neurological and systemic disorders that affect the eye, brain or both.
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