Citation

Koch C, Neros T. J. Optom. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.optom.2023.04.003

PMID

37302954

Abstract

Concussion is a diffuse brain injury that can lead to a variety of symptoms such as headaches, impaired memory, lack of focus or concentration, and sensitivity to light and noise (e.g.),5. In fact, a common symptom for evaluating concussion is visual sensitivity (e.g., 6. However, visual screening is not currently a recommended component of concussion assessment (e.g.),4. For example, the widely used SCAT52 includes "sensitivity to light" and "blurred vision" as items in the symptom checklist (c.f.),6 but none of the components of the SCAT5 explore the extent to which vision is affected by a potential concussion.

Sensitivity to light may indicate difficulty regulating light. Blurred vision may indicate problems with focusing. Of course, blurred vision can lead to headaches, which is another common concussion symptom. Blurred vision also makes reading difficult leading to eye strain and reduced comprehension. While these are certainly important issues, concussed individuals may also experience difficulty with eye teaming, depth perception, eye tracking, and either overactive or underactive peripheral vision. Thus, the current level of vision assessment in concussion screening measures appears inadequate. In this exploratory study, we examined the impact of concussion on visual acuity and binocular vision using simple screening tools.

Language: en