Visual acuity disturbances following brain injury in school-aged children

Abstract

Background: Visual disturbances may result in a long-term complication after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in children. These problems may affect both near work and reading, and thus affect activities of daily life and the child’s return to school activity. The purpose of the study was to assess the visual acuity disturbances and refractive status in children with persisting symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury. Material and methods: Forty-eight patients with persisting symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury and anomalies of visual acuity were included. Visual symptoms and refractive status were assessed during the eye examination. Results: Thus, in the mTBI group the visual acuity for the right eye was of 0.09-0.5 in 83.7% (40 patients), in 16.3% (8 patients) – right eye 0.6-0.8, comparing to the control group, where 62% patients had the visual acuity ranged almost in 1.0, just 14% (7 patients) ranged 0.09-0.5 and in 24% (12 patients) – 0.6-0.8. The visual acuity for the left eye in the research group was of 0.09-0.5 in 89.8% (43 patients), in 10.2% (5 patients) – for the left eye was 0.6-0.8, comparing to the control group, where 66% patients had the visual acuity ranged almost in 1.0, just 24% (12 patients) it ranged 0.09-0.5 and in 14% (5 patients) – 0.6-0.8. Conclusions: Visual acuity (VA) is affected primary after head trauma although it has big chances to get better with a vision therapy in a time period ranged between 3 and 6 months after the trauma. In most of the cases, we speak of a blurred vison in the near work and relative unclear perception at far. Autorefraction data usually will reveal a slight hyperopia with a possible astigmatic component ranged between 1D to 3D, and in 4.1%-8.2% of cases a slight myopia referring to the spherical compound and 18.4%-32.7% astigmatic compound, also ranged between 1D and 3D.