Detailed Vision Screening Results from a Cohort of Individuals with Aphasia.
Kimberly G Smith, Ankita M Bhutada
PMID 33986558WHAT IT FOUND
Most patients with aphasia in this cohort had visual deficits, but few were stroke-related.
Many failed distance vision screenings despite having had recent eye exams. Clinicians should screen vision before assuming assessment failures are purely language-based, as uncorrected poor sight can mimic aphasia severity.
Key findings
01Two-thirds of participants reported significant visual histories, but only one identified a visual field deficit specifically associated with their stroke.
0243% of the sample failed distance vision acuity screening, indicating less than 20/20 binocular vision.
03Visual field deficits were present in 43.4% of the sample, a rate consistent with previous stroke populations.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The vision screening protocol was not standardized or validated with an objective tool; the McDowell Vision Screening was adapted from a pediatric test. The sample size was small (n=23) and lacked an age-matched control group, making it difficult to distinguish stroke-related deficits from normal aging. The Visual Activities Questionnaire relied on self-report or proxy report, which may be unreliable in persons with aphasia. The VAQ items are linguistically complex, potentially confounding results for those with more severe language impairments. Detailed medical records regarding past vision evaluations were not obtained due to time constraints.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these visual deficits are caused by the stroke. Most were pre-existing or age-related. However, do not ignore them: uncorrected vision problems can mimic or worsen apparent aphasia severity during assessment.