Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation at Excel est. 2004
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Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injury ∙ Learning Disabilities ∙ Autism ∙ Infant and Visual Development ∙ Neuro-Degenerative Diseases ∙ Visually Evoked Potential ∙ Visual Information Processing Testing ∙ Kinetic Color Visual Field ∙ Optometric Phototherapy
48189 Van Dyke Ave, Shelby Township, MI 48317
Phone: (586) 731-9725
Fax: (586) 488-0006
Stroke & Vision
About 65% of stroke survivors have vision problems​
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Depending on the location and extent of brain tissue affected, you may have vision issues, including reading problems, poor visual memory and decreased depth perception and balance.
A stroke can significantly impact the visual system. Patients may experience issues such as double vision, eye drift, balance problems, visual field loss or cuts, and visual field neglect, among other challenges. These deficits can significantly affect quality of life and daily activities. Therefore, assessing vision's sensorimotor and functional components after a stroke is crucial. While strokes most commonly affect elderly patients, they can occur at any age.
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After a stroke, individuals may present various signs and symptoms related to the acquired brain injury.
Common signs and symptoms include:
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Double Vision
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Strabismus (Eye Turn)
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Visual Field Cuts
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Balance Difficulties
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Challenges with Walking or Gait.
Our visual system plays a vital role in helping guide our body through space. If the stroke affects the visual system, it may cause challenges and symptoms linked to a visual deficit. Strokes can interfere with daily living activities, including working, driving, participating in social events, walking, and reading. Identifying any visual changes and developing a plan for recovery and rehabilitation is essential. The Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association provides resources on the relationship between stroke and vision.
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Spontaneous recovery (SP) is also possible following a stroke. SP refers to the brain's ability to recover from deficits without formal treatment or rehabilitation. However, this recovery is not always complete. Typically, motor movements recover more quickly than visuospatial neglect and orientation deficits.
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Because of the potential for spontaneous recovery, some patients may choose to wait and be closely monitored by their healthcare provider. This monitoring period can be lengthy, often lasting between 5 to 6 months, but some patients may not wish to wait for recovery. At Great Lakes Vision Rehabilitation, we aim to offer the best therapeutic options for vision rehabilitation after a stroke. Our doctors have received specialized training to assess vision and balance, double vision, strabismus, visual field cuts, and vision-related gait abnormalities. We provide various types of therapy, including vision therapy, optometric phototherapy, prisms, occlusion, and specialized glasses, to help meet your needs and goals in your recovery journey. Our clinic uses prisms: compensatory (to alleviate double vision by aligning images) and therapeutic (to alter visual perception, thereby improving balance and gait through visual guidance).