Scientists convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have “identified five elements of a brain-based condition that is a leading cause of vision impairment starting in childhood in the United States and other industrialized nations.” This increasingly common condition is cerebral (or cortical) vision impairment (CVI) and, according to some, at least three percent of school children “exhibit CVI-related visual problems.” The scientific team’s full report has been published in Ophthalmology. “Lack of awareness about CVI is a large factor leading” to it being misdiagnosed or undiagnosed, “’which can mean years of frustration for children and parents’” who, as a result “’don’t receive help for it,’” stated report co-author Lotfi B. Merabet, O.D., Ph.D., associate professor of ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School. “’Clarifying the factors of suspecting CVI should help build awareness and help eye care providers identify children for further assessment so they can benefit from rehabilitation and accommodation strategies as early as possible,’” according to report co-author Melinda Y. Chang, M.D., assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. The five elements of CVI that have been identified are: “Brain Involvement;” “Visual dysfunction greater than expected based on eye exam;” “Types of visual deficits;” “Distinguishing overlapping neurological disorders;” and “CVI is easily missed.”
Advancing Research: The Development of a NIH CVI Registry
Michael F. Chiang, M.D., director of NIH’s National Eye Institute (NEI) noted that “’Significant work remains to be done to optimize diagnostic approaches and multidisciplinary rehabilitation strategies to improve quality of life for people with CVI, which is why it is a priority in our strategic plan.’” To advance research, NEI is directing the development of a registry to collect data from people with CVI. This resource will be made available to researchers to study CVI and to “define best diagnostic and rehabilitative practices.” To learn more about the resource, visit the NIH CVI Registry webpage. For additional information about the study results, visit the NEI Research News release announcing that the NIH-led scientific team defines elements of brain-based visual impairment in children. To access the full report, read the Ophthalmology Special Commentary: Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment Working Definition—A Report from the National Institutes of Health CVI Workshop.
