What is the mechanism of action of this treatment?

The multisensory rehabilitation paradigm for hemianopia involves using multiple sensory modalities to retrain the brain and improve visual function. This approach leverages the brain's neuroplasticity, encouraging it to reorganize and form new neural connections that compensate for the lost visual field. By integrating visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli, patients can enhance their spatial awareness and visual processing capabilities. This is crucial for hemianopia patients as it can significantly improve their ability to perform daily activities, enhance their quality of life, and reduce the risk of accidents due to impaired vision.

What side effects are associated with this type of intervention?

The most common treatments for hemianopia, particularly those involving multisensory rehabilitation paradigms, generally have minimal side effects. These non-invasive therapies aim to retrain the brain using multiple sensory modalities and may cause temporary discomfort, mild headaches, or eye strain due to the intensity of the exercises. Unlike pharmacological treatments, these approaches avoid systemic side effects, making them a safer option for many patients.

What prior FDA approvals exist?

There is no specific mention of FDA-approved treatments for hemianopia in the provided context. The multisensory rehabilitation paradigm being studied aims to retrain the brain using multiple sensory modalities to improve visual function in hemianopia patients. This approach is still in the 'proof of concept' stage and does not yet have FDA approval. Broadly, treatments for hemianopia often focus on visual rehabilitation techniques, but specific drug approvals are not detailed in the provided information.

What other types of research exist?

Promising novel alternatives to the Multisensory Rehabilitation Paradigm for hemianopia patients include: 1) Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), which has shown potential in improving visual function by modulating brain activity. 2) Virtual Reality (VR)-based therapies, which provide immersive environments to stimulate visual processing and improve visual field deficits. 3) Retinal implants and prosthetics, which are being developed to restore partial vision by directly stimulating the retina or visual pathways. 4) Gene therapy and stem cell therapy, which aim to repair or replace damaged retinal cells and restore visual function.

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Behavioural Intervention

Multisensory Rehabilitation for Hemianopia

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Benjamin Rowland, PhD

Research Sponsored by Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Ability to perform the visual discriminations in their intact field

Diagnosis of a stable homonymous hemianopia (>6 months) with absence of hemineglect

Must not have

Adults (>85)

Inability to perform the visual discriminations in their intact field

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up month 3

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial aims to help people who are blind in one half of their visual field by using training sessions with matching sights and sounds. The goal is to see if this can help their brains re-learn how to process visual information.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for adults under 85 years old with a stable condition called hemianopia, where half of the visual field is lost. Participants should not have attention deficits related to vision (hemineglect) and must be able to see well enough in their unaffected field to do certain visual tasks.

What is being tested?

The study tests a new way to help people with hemianopia, which involves using multiple senses in therapy. The goal is to show that this approach can improve vision problems caused by damage to the primary visual cortex while leaving other brain areas intact.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this trial focuses on rehabilitation through sensory exercises rather than medication or surgery, side effects are likely minimal but may include fatigue or frustration during training sessions.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

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I can see clearly with my unaffected eye.

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I have had stable partial vision loss for over 6 months without ignoring one side.

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My brain lesion affects my vision but not my touch or spatial awareness.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I am over 85 years old.

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I cannot see differences in shapes or colors correctly.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ month 3

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~month 3

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and month 3 for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Distance between perceived and actual stimulus location

Humphrey visual field test

Low-vision visual functioning questionnaire (LV-VFQ-48)

+2 more

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

1Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Unilaterally blind Subjects will be exposed to visual-auditory stimulationExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

The over-arching objective is to evaluate the functional recovery of vision in hemianopic patients engaged with a multisensory training paradigm. Unilaterally blind participants will participate in weekly training sessions in which they are exposed to high-density spatiotemporally congruent and consistent visual-auditory stimulation. The participants will be tested on a battery of visual tasks probing different levels of function in different environments in a longitudinal study to track recovery.

0 / 5Eligibility criteria met

Research Highlights

Information in this section is not a recommendation. We encourage patients to speak with their healthcare team when evaluating any treatment decision.

Mechanism Of Action

Side Effect Profile

Prior Approvals

Other Research

The multisensory rehabilitation paradigm for hemianopia involves using multiple sensory modalities to retrain the brain and improve visual function. This approach leverages the brain's neuroplasticity, encouraging it to reorganize and form new neural connections that compensate for the lost visual field. By integrating visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli, patients can enhance their spatial awareness and visual processing capabilities. This is crucial for hemianopia patients as it can significantly improve their ability to perform daily activities, enhance their quality of life, and reduce the risk of accidents due to impaired vision.

The Effects of Continuous vs. Intermittent Prism Adaptation Protocols for Treating Visuospatial Neglect: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Effect of movement and vision on visual-motor adjustment to optical rearrangement.Changes in cerebral activation in individuals with and without visual vertigo during optic flow: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.