Evaluation of Visual Disturbances After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury-A One-Year Follow-up Study.
Möller Mona-Lisa, Mäki Kaisa, Nybo Taina and 4 others
PMID 39531319WHAT IT FOUND
One year after mild brain injury, visual symptoms like tired eyes and blurred vision improved for most patients.
However, specific eye coordination problems, particularly with distance fusion and dynamic visual acuity, remained common, suggesting these deficits do not always resolve spontaneously.
Key findings
01Median scores on the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey and the Rivermead Post Concussion Questionnaire significantly decreased from baseline to one-year follow-up, indicating reduced subjective visual symptoms.
02While subjective symptoms improved, objective tests showed persistent abnormalities in distance fusion (69%), accommodation (67%), and near fusion (58%), with significant improvement only in vergence facility and pursuit eye movements.
03Dynamic visual acuity deficits were largely permanent in this cohort, with 7 of 8 patients who had abnormal results at baseline still showing persistent deficits at follow-up.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (26 participants), which limits the generalizability of the findings and the ability to detect differences in subgroups. The time between injury and baseline assessment varied (1-9 months), and the follow-up interval also varied (10-26 months), which introduces heterogeneity in the recovery timeline. The wide age range (24-66 years) means results may not apply to younger or older populations. The study did not account for other factors that influence vision and balance, such as vestibular, cervical, or cortical issues.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design, analysis, or writing of the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that the improvement in subjective symptom scores means the underlying visual deficits have resolved. Objective tests showed that a majority of patients still had significant abnormalities in fusion, accommodation, and dynamic visual acuity at one year, even as they reported feeling better.