Novavision Presents Vision Restoration Therapy Data At The AAN Annual Meeting

Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  Clinical Trials / Drug Trials;  Stroke
Article Date: 06 May 2007 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

NovaVision today presented data at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) 59th Annual Meeting showing that more than 70% of study participants - stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors with homonymous visual field defects - demonstrated a visual field improvement of greater than three percent following a standard six-module course of NovaVision VRT™ Vision Restoration Therapy™. A visual field improvement of three percent or greater has been shown previously in earlier studies to correlate with subjective improvement.

NovaVision VRT™ is the first and only FDA-cleared medical device or rehabilitative therapy clinically proven to improve visual field defects in stroke and TBI survivors who have been left partially blind due to their condition. Patients receive a customized program designed for their visual field deficits to use at home daily. Through a specific pattern of visual stimuli that gauge the user's ability to identify and react, users can gradually expand their visual fields and restore lost vision. NovaVision VRT is based on the science of neuroplasticity the brain's ability to adapt and form new connections to compensate for injury.

The data indicate that over 70% of study participants from 16 U.S. centers who underwent a six-module (six month) course of therapy showed a three percent or greater improvement in stimulus detection on visual field testing. The average improvement in stimulus detection was 12 percent. Previous studies suggest that people who regain three percent or more of their visual field have functional improvements that may include enhanced quality of life, better reading, watching television and athletics, although functional outcomes were not measured in this study. Age, type of visual field defect, or the amount time since the injury had no impact on the results.

"These results further validate our previous clinical studies showing the true benefits of NovaVision VRT for helping stroke and TBI patients improve their visual field loss," said Jose Romano, M.D., Associate Professor Neurology, Cerebrovascular Division at the University of Miami, who is the presenter of the study results at the AAN.

Data supports that regardless of how much time has elapsed since a stroke or brain injury, therapeutic interventions such as VRT can improve visual field loss; this improvement can result in functional gains that were once believed lost forever.

There are approximately 1.5 million stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors in the U.S. with visual field deficits. This number is increasing by 90,000 each year, according to the American Heart Association.

About NovaVision, Inc.

NovaVision, Inc., headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., develops and provides scientifically based, innovative medical devices and comprehensive solutions to restore the vision of patients with neurological visual impairments. Nova Vision's FDA-cleared NovaVisionVRT™ Vision Restoration Therapy™ (VRT) is based on neuroplasticity â€" the brain's ability to adapt and form new connections to compensate for injury. NovaVision diagnostic testing maps areas where vision may be improved, and therapy targets and stimulates regions within the brain's vision-processing areas.

VRT is based on more than 10 years of research with clinical studies published in leading journals including Nature Medicine, Neurology, and The Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. Data from a recent retrospective study identified that more than 70 percent of U.S. patients who underwent VRT for an initial six-month treatment period showed significant improvements in their vision.

More than 1,000 patients have been treated with VRT and clinical results are positive. VRT is currently offered at leading neurological, eye and rehabilitation centers nationwide

Edelman PR, NYC
New York, NY
United States
http://www.edelman.com

• Additional
• References
• Citations