The University of Aberdeen has been awarded £88,000 to further research on cortical blindness – a term used to describe an apparent lack of visual functioning. The money has been given as part of a major project grant from the Chief Scientist Office, Scottish Executive, for research on understanding and rehabilitation of blindness following brain damage.
Dr Arash Sahraie, one of the principal investigators of this project, is delighted with the funding and has been working on understanding blindness following brain damage for over 12 years. Dr Sahraie has worked in the Department of Psychology at Aberdeen for the last three years, primarily on cortical blindness, and has been working closely with Drs John Olson (Ophthalmology), Roelf Dijkhuizen (Stroke Unit) and Professor Weiskrantz (Oxford University). The team have developed a novel technique aimed at reducing the visual deficits following brain damage and the project aims to test the effectiveness of this technique.
Dr Sahraie explained: “Following an accident, if a person has slurred speech they will be sent to a speech therapist. If they have motor problems they will be sent to a physiotherapist. If their vision goes, they are sent home usually being told that nothing can be done. The mindset is that nothing can be done.”
Dr Sahraie and his team aim to change this attitude and this is the first time that this area of research has been funded in the UK.
Although there are well-established rehabilitation protocols to alleviate cognitive, motor and speech impairments following brain injury, the visual deficits are largely ignored. Some cortically blind patients may retain some limited residual visual capacities within the field defect that they may or may not be aware of.
Visual deficits accompany approximately 70% of stroke cases. Initially, some limited spontaneous recovery may occur, but the visual field losses persist in chronic stroke. Other causes of cortical blindness include congenial abnormalities, trauma and elective surgery.
The University’s aim is to test the effectiveness of a visual rehabilitation protocol based on a repeated stimulation technique.
The group of scientists and clinical experts based at the University’s Vision Research Laboratories (VRL), Department of Psychology, the Acute Stroke Unit at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Departments of Ophthalmology and Radiology will investigate patients who are suffering partial blindness as a result of their stroke.
Patients will be monitored over the next two-three years and the team will collate the data to see if this research will work. If it does work, it will ultimately be applied throughout the UK.
Dr Sahraie added: “The three main objectives that this funding will achieve include:
- To investigate the incidence of blindsight in cortically damaged people.
- To find out the extent of the capacities remaining within the blind field; can they detect movement, colour, or lines at different orientations?
- Evaluate the effectiveness of this novel rehabilitation protocol that has been developed in Aberdeen’s Vision Research Laboratories.”
Fifteen people including lecturers, medical and surgical doctors will be involved in this research. This will involve collaborative work between clinical experts and scientists.
Dr Sahraie added: “People have been very co-operative as this research is purely voluntary. We hope to test 20-30 patients for this research project and to have results in two years’ time.”
Further information from: Angela Begg, Media Relations, on (01224) 272960.
Issued by Public Relations Office, External Relations, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen. Tel: 01224 272014 Fax: 01224 272086.
University Press Office on telephone +44 (0)1224-273778 or email a.ramsay@admin.abdn.ac.uk.