CURRENT STATUS OF REHABILITATION FOR PATIENTS WITH HOMONYMOUS FIELD DEFECTS – Full Text PDF

…INTRODUCTION

In patients with brain damage, often the hemianopic field defect is not diagnosed, because other neurological symptoms, such as hemiplegia, are predominant. The mean time between the brain damage and the diagnosis of the hemianopia was found to be 3 +/- 2 months (Zhang et al 2006). Additionally, the patients oft en do not realize the fi eld defect, even though they experience activity limitations in their everyday life. The classification of the World Health Organizati on (WHO 2004) for Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) includes three main aspects, which have to be considered in visual impairment:

1. impairment – related to the organ,
2. disability or activity limitation – related to the person and
3. handicap or parti cipati on restriction – related to the society.

Homonymous field defects cause two main disabilities/ activity limitations:

1. reading disorder, if the central visual field is involved
2. orientati on disorder (bumping into objects, problems with way finding)…

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