Actively Recruiting
Effect of Visual Retraining on Visual Loss Following Cortical Damage
Led by University of Rochester · Updated on 2025-07-16
100
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
104 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Researchers are studying the effects of visual cortical damage on the remaining visual system, visual perception, spatial awareness, and brain function. They aim to understand how intensive visual retraining impacts the residual visual system, processing of visual information, and the practical use of this information after damage caused by stroke or similar brain injury. The study seeks to improve knowledge about permanent visual system damage, ways to reverse visual loss, and brain mechanisms behind visual recovery. Participants with cortical blindness will perform a daily home visual training task using computer software and a chin-rest loaned to them. They will complete one to two daily sessions involving 200-300 trials each, focusing on discriminating motion direction, motion presence, or visual stimulus orientation in their blind visual field. Training will last about 40-60 minutes per day, 5 to 7 days a week, for 3 to 12 months. Healthy control subjects will also be recruited to provide comparison data but will not perform home training. Throughout the study, participants will undergo standard clinical tests and psychophysical assessments to measure changes in visual abilities such as direction discrimination thresholds and contrast sensitivity over 4-6 and 8-12 months. Visual field tests including Humphrey, Goldmann, and MAIA perimetry will also be conducted to monitor vision changes. The study includes data collection on daily training performance and brain function, with participant involvement spanning several months of training and follow-up assessments.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
Effect of Visual Retraining After Stroke
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Between 21 and 80 years of age
- Residents of the United States or Canada
- Unilateral stroke or stroke-like damage to primary visual cortex or its immediate afferent white matter within the age range 21-75
- Reliable visual field defects in both eyes covering at least a 5-degree diameter visual stimulus
- Able to fixate on visual targets reliably for 1000 milliseconds
- Must have a home computer (desktop or laptop) and reliable internet access
- Willing, able, and competent to provide informed consent
- Normal cognitive abilities and ability to understand instructions in English
- Competent and responsible adults able to complete visual training independently at home for several months
You will not qualify if you...
- Past or present eye disease interfering with visual acuity
- Best corrected visual acuity worse than 20/40 in either eye
- Damage to the dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
- Diffuse whole brain degenerative processes
- History of traumatic brain injury
- Any other brain damage that may interfere with training or outcomes
- Documented history of drug or alcohol abuse
- Currently taking neuroactive medications impacting training
- Presence of cognitive or seizure disorders
- One-sided attentional neglect
- Lack of competence or inability to perform visual training as directed
- Presence of damage to the visual system or active nervous system disease (for control subjects)
- Cognitive or seizure disorders (for control subjects)
- Visual acuity worse than 20/40 (for control subjects)
- Presence of vision field loss from ocular disease or disorder (for control subjects)
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Your Study Journey
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Duration - At least 3 months and up to 12 months
Participants with cortical blindness perform daily home visual training using a computer program involving visual discrimination tasks. Training sessions last about 40-60 minutes, 5 to 7 days per week, for at least 3 and up to 12 months.
Daily training sessions at home
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, New York, United States, 14642
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
E
Evan Burr
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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