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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Chronic visual impairment is one of the 10 most prevalent causes of disability in the United States. But now, new research suggests vision therapy could have a substantial impact on helping patients maintain their sight.
Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine and the Edward E. Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, Ill., studied a group of veterans with low vision and diseases affecting the macula -- the area of the retina with the sharpest vision. The 126 person study group was 98 percent male with an average age of 78.9 years. The patients were divided into two groups and studied for two years.
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During the study, the first group of patients received a vision therapy program that included a low-vision examination, counseling, assistive devices and five weekly sessions provided by a vision therapist. They were also assigned homework to ensure they were using the devices at home. The other group was placed on a waiting list for the therapy program and received no treatment for four months -- the amount of time veterans might normally wait to receive similar services.
After the initial four months, the patients in the treatment group had received an average of 10.46 hours of face-to-face vision therapy, and overall experienced a significant improvement in all aspects of visual function. Patients in the waiting list group experienced decline in both their vision and functional ability over the four months.
At least 10 hours of low-vision therapy, including a home visit and assigned homework to encourage practice, is justified for patients with moderate and severe vision loss from macular diseases, study authors wrote. Because the waiting list control patients demonstrated a decline in functional ability, low-vision services should be offered as early as possible.
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SOURCE: Archives of Ophthalmology, 2008;126:608-617
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
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