An interdisciplinary visual team in an acute and sub-acute stroke unit: Providing assessment and early rehabilitation

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Norup, Anne^{a; *} | Guldberg, Anne-Mette^a | Friis, Claus Radmer^b | Deurell, Eva Maria^b | Forchhammer, Hysse Birgitte^a

Affiliations: [a] Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark | [b] Department of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

Correspondence: [*] Address for correspondence: Anne Norup, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Nordre Ringvej, 2600 Glostrup, Denmark. Tel.: +45 3863 3767; E-mail: anne.norup@regionh.dk.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To describe the work of an interdisciplinary visual team in a stroke unit providing early identification and assessment of patients with visual symptoms, and secondly to investigate frequency, type of visual deficits after stroke and self-evaluated impact on everyday life after stroke. METHODS: For a period of three months, all stroke patients with visual or visuo-attentional deficits were registered, and data concerning etiology, severity and localization of the stroke and initial visual symptoms were registered. One month after discharge patients were contacted for follow-up. RESULTS: Of 349 acute stroke admissions, 84 (24.1%) had visual or visuo-attentional deficits initially. Of these 84 patients, informed consent was obtained from 22 patients with a mean age of 67.7 years(SD 10.1), and the majority was female (59.1%). Based on the initial neurological examination, 45.4% had some kind of visual field defect, 27.2% had some kind of oculomotor nerve palsy, and about 31.8% had some kind of inattention or visual neglect. The patients were contacted for a phone-based follow-up one month after discharge, where 85.7% reported changes in their vision since their stroke. CONCLUSION: In this consecutive sample, a quarter of all stroke patients had visual or visuo-attentional deficits initially. This emphasizes how professionals should have increased awareness of the existence of such deficits after stroke in order to provide the necessary interdisciplinary assessment and rehabilitation.

Keywords: Stroke, visual deficits, vision disorders, visual rehabilitation, and early rehabilitation

DOI: 10.3233/NRE-161376

Journal: NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 39, no. 3, pp. 451-461, 2016