Abstract
Presentation Description :
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the US. TBI may produce a diminished or altered state of consciousness, which results in an impairment of cognitive abilities or physical functioning, but can also affect multiple aspects of vision. While moderate or severe TBI often causes structural lesions, mTBI/concussion frequently leads to disruptions in visual functioning. Mild TBI accounts for 75% of all TBIs. However, the diagnosis of mTBI can be challenging based on the lack of objective biomarkers. The current retrospective study shows that the most common visual sequelae and symptoms regardless the time after injury (i.e., acute/subacute, chronic ≤1 yr, chronic >1 yr) and the injury mechanism (i.e., blast vs. non-blast) are: blur vision at near and distance, eye strain, reading issues, accommodative insufficiency, convergence insufficiency, saccades and pursuit eye movement, vertical deviation, diplopia, visual field defect, and light sensitivity. The results of the current study suggest there is no difference in visual symptoms and dysfunctions based on time after injury or mechanism of injury (blast vs. non-blast), except for eye strain and diplopia.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.