Affiliations: Utrecht University, Department of Functional
Neurobiology, Kruytgebouw, Padualaan 8, 3548 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands | The Helmholtz Research School, P.O. Box 80125, 3508
TC, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Abstract: Purpose: To study the quality of the visual field areas that were
regained after training. In those areas, we measured some of the elementary
visual properties that make up the quality of visual functioning in daily-life.
This was to provide information about whether the functional visual field had
been enlarged. Methods: Patients with visual field defects after a CVA were
trained to detect stimuli presented in the border area of the visual field
defect. Then, in the regained areas, we measured visual acuity as a measure for
spatial properties. Secondly, to assess for temporal properties we
measured critical flicker frequency (CFF). Finally, we studied color vision as
a third property of the regained areas. Results: Since we could not predict where restoration of
visual fields would occur, we did not present pre-post comparisons. However,
despite the fact that training was carried out with simple white light stimuli,
we could assess acuity, CFF and color vision in the regained areas. The
performance of the patients during testing of the elementary properties
appeared to be almost normal when compared to control subjects and comparable
to the patient's own ipsilesional visual field. Conclusions: These results support the idea that the regained
visual fields that emerged after training are actually used for processing
additional visual stimuli other than those used during training.
