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A new University study, published in PLOS One, highlights the high incidence and prevalence of visual problems in acute stroke survivors.

A stroke is a serious life-threatening medical condition that occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off. The injury to the brain caused by a stroke can lead to widespread and long-lasting problems. Currently, visual problems are often under-reported by survivors of acute strokes.

In order to ascertain the number of new cases of Post stroke visual impairment (PSVI) and their prevalence, researchers from the University's Department of Health Services Research, led by Professor Fiona Rowe, examined stroke assessments of 1033 patients from three stroke units over one year.

During their hospital stay each patient's visual acuity, visual fields, ocular alignment, ocular motility, visual inattention and visual perception was assessed by an orthoptist.

The researchers found that the average number of days (post-stroke) before a visual screening was conducted was three and for a full visual assessment the average was four days.

Excluding pre-existent eye problems, the incidence of new onset visual conditions was 48 percent for all stroke admissions and 60 percent in stroke survivors.

Read more at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-03-highlights-alarmingly-high-visual-problems.html