Each year, approximately 100,000 people in the UK, EU and US suffer sight loss due to stroke, resulting in sudden unanticipated disability that can severely impact quality of life. Systematic reviews suggest that eye movement training represents the most promising approach to vision rehabilitation in stroke patients, but previous therapeutic approaches lacked reach due to the need for numerous clinic visits and substantial clinician time investment.
Researchers at the University of Aberdeen, led by Professor Sahraie, have developed and commercialised a new eye movement training therapy for patients with sight loss following stroke: NeuroEyeCoach™.
One of the biggest benefits of NeuroEyeCoach™ is its accessibility. It can be accessed remotely by patients using any personal computer device, so can be used either at home or in clinics, and it is adaptive to the individual’s disability, allowing tailored training matched to the patient’s needs. Thus, it addresses two of the major issues that had not been addressed by previous therapies, namely standardisation of therapy and ease of access to the therapy by patients.
Data from over 500 patients accessing NeuroEyeCoach™ has shown major benefits in improved vision and daily living activities, thus improving their quality of life. Having received regulatory approval, the therapy has been widely used to rehabilitate patients in the EU and the USA, and is also being used to rehabilitate patients in the UK.
FIND OUT MORE:
Professor Arash Sahraie’s staff profile
University of Aberdeen: Treatment for blindness successful in largest ever study | News | The University of Aberdeen (abdn.ac.uk)
RNIB website: https://www.rnib.org.uk/nb-online/neuroeyecoach
Press and Journal: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen/2038571/treatment-for-blindness-successful-in-largest-ever-study-led-by-aberdeen-researcher/
Patient testimonials: NeuroEyeCoach Testimonials – NovaVision
Clinical uptake: Vycor Medical, Inc. Agrees New NovaVision Licensing Agreement Other OTC:VYCO (globenewswire.com) and Vycor Signs Agreement With HealthSouth for Second NovaVision Therapy Product (prnewswire.com)
Clinical testimonials: The role of vision therapy in rehabilitation | Encompass Health
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:
Nowakowska A, Clarke ADF, Hunt AR (2017) Human visual search behaviour is far from ideal. Proc. R. Soc.: Biol. 284, 27-67. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.2767
Nowakowska A, Clarke ADF, Sahraie A, Hunt AR (2016) Inefficient search strategies in simulated hemianopia. J. Exp. Psychol.: Human. Percept. Perform. 42, 1858–1872. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000250
Sahraie A, Smania N, Zihl J (2016) Use of NeuroEyeCoach™ (NEC) to improve eye movement efficacy in patients with homonymous visual field loss. BioMed Research International. Article ID 5186461. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/5186461
Sahraie A, Cederblad AMH, Kenkel S, Romano JG (2020) Efficacy and predictors of recovery of function after eye movement training in 296 hemianopic patients. Cortex. 125, 149-160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2019.12.005
Sahraie A, Cederblad AMH (2018) Analysis of NeuroEyeCoach https://osf.io/2hvds/wiki/home/.