Visual impairments in the first year after traumatic brain injury

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Article reviews literature regarding individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who have vision-related impairments up to one year after injury. Searches of Medline, Ovid, and PubMed were performed using terms including: traumatic brain injury, visual deficits after brain injury, vision and traumatic brain injury, and activities of daily living (ADLs) after brain injury. Eighteen studies were analyzed and reviewed. A range of visual and visual-motor impairments are seen across the severity of TBI. Visual impairment negatively impacts independence in mobility and ADLs. Common sensorimotor visual symptoms reported by those with TBI include blurred vision, reading problems, double vision or eyestrain, dizziness or disequilibrium in visually-crowded environments, visual field defects, light sensitivity, and color blindness. This review should alert the reader to common visual complaints and defects seen after TBI. It is important to screen individuals who have suffered TBI for sensorimotor vision deficits early in recovery so that these issues may be addressed and recovery of function and independence in the community are not delayed.

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