Activating blind fields in hemianopics with moving stimuli potentiates visual field enlargements as induced by Vision Restoration Therapy (VRT): a cross-over-study

Background: Vision restoration therapy (VRT) is used by hemianopics to enlarge visual fields and it uses a single-point visual training paradigm in areas of residual vision, i.e. in the border region of the visual field defect. We now studied the question if efficiency of VRT can be increased when the entire region of blindness is simultaneously stimulated by a massive moving spiral stimulus which is aimed at activating extrastriate pathways left intact after the cortical damage. Methods: Patients (n=18) had already been treated with VRT for at least 6 months prior to study entry and many had already experienced…