8 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The goal of this study is to learn about eye gaze technology's use as an assessment and intervention of visual skills and the impact on occupational performance in children with cortical/cerebral visual impairment. The main questions the study aims to answer are: * Does the use of eye gaze technology with graded visual activities improve visual abilities: * Does an improvement in visual abilities improve occupational performance? - What are the factors that correlate with improved visual abilities? Participants will complete the Pre-test with Canadian Occupational Performance Measurement, Cortical Visual Impairment Range, Sensory Profile and Sensory Processing Checklist for Children with Visual Impairment. Then will participate in eye gaze technology activities using eye gaze software with graded visual games for 20 minutes per day for 4 weeks. Observations of positioning, head/eye position, sensory processing, and types of eye gaze activities used during the session. Pre test, daily and post test percentage scores on the eye gaze activities will be recorded. Then the child will complete post testing with the Canadian Occupational Performance Measurement and Cortical Visual Impairment Range.
This study aims to compare the efficacy of an in-home telehealth-based intervention to standard care for children with cortical visual impairment and their caregivers and to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an in-home telehealth-based intervention approach for children with cortical visual impairment and their caregivers. This pilot study will utilize a randomized two group crossover design with assessment at 4 time periods. The assessments will occur at remote locations.
The overarching objective of this project is to transform access to assistive communication technologies (augmentative and alternative communication) for individuals with motor disabilities and/or visual impairment, for whom natural speech is not meeting their communicative needs. These individuals often cannot access traditional augmentative and alternative communication because of their restricted movement or visual function. However, most such individuals have idiosyncratic body-based means of communication that is reliably interpreted by familiar communication partners. The project will test artificial intelligence algorithms that gather information from sensors or camera feeds about these idiosyncratic movement patterns of the individual with motor/visual impairments. Based on the sensor or camera feed information, the artificial intelligence algorithms will interpret the individual's gestures and translate the interpretation into speech output. For instance, if an individual waves their hand as their means of communicating "I want", the artificial intelligence algorithm will detect that gesture and prompt the speech-generating technology to produce the spoken message "I want." This will allow individuals with restricted but idiosyncratic movements to access the augmentative and alternative communication technologies that are otherwise out of reach.
This project is intended to collect data using standard clinical tests and psychophysics to quantify the effect of visual cortical damage on the structure of the residual visual system, visual perception, spatial awareness, and brain function. The investigators will also assess the effect of intensive visual retraining on the residual visual system, processing of visual information and the use of such information in real-world situations following damage. This research is intended to improve our understanding of the consequences of permanent visual system damage in humans, of methods that can be used to reverse visual loss, and of brain mechanisms by which visual recovery is achieved.
This project aims to develop a novel visual training paradigm for use in visually-intact participants and those sufferings from stroke-induced visual impairments. Our task design is built upon theories of statistical learning to reduce the overall training burden while still producing profound improvements to visual abilities. Efficacy will be first established in visually-intact controls before testing in stroke survivors to assess the feasibility of this form of learning in the damaged visual system.
This project is intended to collect data using standard clinical tests and psychophysics to quantify the effect of visual cortical damage on the structure of the residual visual system, visual perception, spatial awareness, and brain function. The investigators will also assess the effect of intensive visual retraining on the residual visual system, processing of visual information and the use of such information in real-world situations following damage. This research is intended to improve our understanding of the consequences of permanent visual system damage in humans, of methods that can be used to reverse visual loss, and of brain mechanisms by which visual recovery is achieved.
This is a randomized, pilot interventional study in participants with visual field deficit (VFD) caused by cortical lesion. Damage to the primary visual cortex (V1) causes a contra-lesional, homonymous loss of conscious vision termed hemianopsia, the loss of one half of the visual field. The goal of this project is to elaborate and refine a rehabilitation protocol for VFD participants. It is hypothesized that visual restoration training using moving stimuli coupled with noninvasive current stimulation on the visual cortex will promote and speed up recovery of visual abilities within the blind field in VFD participants. Moreover, it is expected that visual recovery positively correlates with reduction of the blind field, as measured with traditional visual perimetry: the Humphrey visual field test or an eye-tracker based visual perimetry implemented in a virtual reality (VR) headset. Finally, although results will vary among participants depending on the extent and severity of the cortical lesion, it is expected that a bigger increase in neural response to moving stimuli in the blind visual field in cortical motion area, for those participants who will show the largest behavioral improvement after training. The overarching goals for the study are as follows: Group 1a will test the basic effects of transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) coupled with visual training in stroke cohorts, including (i) both chronic/subacute ischemic and chronic hemorrhagic VFD stroke participants, and (ii) longitudinal testing up to 6 months post-treatment. Group 1b will test the effects of transcranial tRNS coupled with visual training on a Virtual Reality (VR) device in stroke cohorts, including both chronic/subacute ischemic and chronic hemorrhagic VFD stroke participants. Group 2 will examine the effects of tRNS alone, without visual training, also including chronic and subacute VFD stroke participants and longitudinal testing.
This study will examine whether direct current (DC) polarization (electrical stimulation) of the visual cortex can cause a temporary improvement of vision in an amblyopic eye of an adult. Amblyopia (also called lazy eye) is reduced vision in an eye, caused by abnormal brain processing of visual information. In amblyopia, the visual cortex (the part of the brain that processes visual information) favors the other eye and suppresses the image from the amblyopic eye. Amblyopia in children is treated by patching or blurring the good eye, which forces the child to use the amblyopic eye and overcome suppression by the brain. This treatment only works in children 8 years old and younger, however. Electrical stimulation of the brain can temporarily change the function of the visual cortex in adults with good vision, but its influence on the visual function of people with amblyopia is unknown. If DC polarization can improve vision in amblyopic eyes in adults, it would show that the visual cortex is still plastic, and it might help researchers develop a treatment for adults with amblyopia in the future. Patients 18 years of age and older with amblyopia caused by crossing in or turning out of the eyes in childhood or by a difference in near- or farsightedness between the eyes may be eligible for this study. Candidates are screened with a medical history and complete eye examination, including a glaucoma screening and checks of vision, in- or out-turning of the eyes, depth perception, need for glasses, and the interior structures of the eyes. Participants undergo two study sessions, scheduled at least 24 hours apart, involving the following procedures: * Examination: Before each session, the patients' distance vision, contrast sensitivity (ability to see fading letters), and ability to read small print are checked in both eyes. * DC polarization: Patients receive either 20 minutes of electrical stimulation or 20 minutes of sham stimulation (each patient will receive both electrical and sham stimulation on different days). * Repeat examination: Immediately after the stimulation and again 20 minutes later, patients undergo repeat visual function testing. Those who show any differences in visual function 20 minutes after the stimulation are examined again 1 hour after the stimulation. Patients in whom the effect continues after 1 hour are examined again after 1 week.