Assessment of feedback modalities for wearable visual aids in blind mobility.

Sensory substitution devices engage sensory modalities other than vision to communicate information typically obtained through the sense of sight. In this paper, we examine the ability of subjects who are blind to follow simple verbal and vibrotactile commands that allow them to navigate a complex path. A total of eleven visually impaired subjects were enrolled in the study.

Droughts of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries: Influences on the production of beef and forage in Kentucky, USA.

Drought affects societies world-wide in many different ways. It is a natural hazard that is complex and not well understood and as a result, its impacts are often poorly documented. The purpose of this research is to quantify (in dollars) the impacts of drought on Kentucky's beef and forage (hay) production.

Expanding Advocacy for Head Trauma Vision Research Funding.

In this article, we explore the roles of media, research, and advocacy in education and research funding. All three have played critical roles in advancing our understanding of eye, vision, and brain injuries in sports and in the military.

Visual Dysfunctions at Different Stages after Blast and Non-blast Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of visual dysfunctions and associated symptoms in war fighters at different stages after non-blast- or blast-induced mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Methods: A comprehensive retrospective review of the electronic health records of 500 U.S.

Twentieth century droughts and agriculture: Examples from impacts on soybean production in Kentucky, USA.

Drought is a significant natural hazard that slowly evolves over time. Because of its character, drought is difficult to monitor and impacts are often poorly documented. Agriculture is one of the most sensitive sectors that are prone to drought.

Visual field dysfunctions in warfighters during different stages following blast and nonblast mTBI.

Objectives: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading injury coming out of the past decades' two major military conflicts, with mild TBI (mTBI) being the most commonly diagnosed form. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and types of visual field (VF) defects seen at different testing stages following nonblast and blast-induced mTBI.

Methods: A comprehensive retrospective review was performed on 500 electronic health records for military personnel sustaining an mTBI during deployment, of which 166 patients were tested with both confrontation VF and 30-2 Humphrey Matrix Frequency Doubling Technology (FDT) perimetry.

Visual function, traumatic brain injury, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are signature injuries of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The conditions can be comorbid and have overlapping signs and symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose and treat each. TBI is associated with numerous changes in vision function, but vision problems secondary to PTSD have not been documented.

Development of a mild traumatic brain injury-specific vision screening protocol: a Delphi study.

Although traumatic brain injury (TBI) can happen to anyone at any time, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have brought it renewed attention. Fortunately, most cases of TBI from the recent conflicts are mild TBI (mTBI). Still, many physical, psychological, and social problems are associated with mTBI.

Mechanisms of TBI and visual consequences in military and veteran populations.

Purpose: Blast-related (BR) traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur secondary to explosive blasts. Blast-related TBIs can be caused by the blast wave itself or by direct head trauma caused by events surrounding the blast. Non-blast-related (NBR) TBIs are caused by direct head trauma.

Scanning training in neurological vision loss: case studies.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the response of a Department of Veterans Affairs medical center's development of a rehabilitation program for patients with hemianopsia. Hemianopsia affects significant numbers of troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq and their neurological vision loss presented unique challenges in developing an appropriate and effective rehabilitation program. A literature review indicated that existing therapies lacked supporting scientific evidence and that traumatic brain injury (TBI)-related vision loss affects large numbers of civilians.

Dual sensory impairment (DSI) in traumatic brain injury (TBI)--An emerging interdisciplinary challenge.

The present review characterizes dual sensory impairment (DSI) as co-existing auditory and visual deficits in TBI that can be peripherally or centrally based. Current research investigating DSI in the military population, along with applicable research which focuses on unimodal deficits, is considered. Due to the heterogenous nature of TBI lesions, an important challenge that the clinician faces is ruling out the influence of multiple sensory deficits and/or the influence of cognitive processes on diagnosis and rehabilitation of the patient.

Auditory and visual impairments in patients with blast-related traumatic brain injury: Effect of dual sensory impairment on Functional Independence Measure.

The frequencies of hearing impairment (HI), vision impairment (VI), or dual (hearing and vision) sensory impairment (DSI) in patients with blast-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their effects on functional recovery are not well documented. In this preliminary study of 175 patients admitted to a Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center, we completed hearing and vision examinations and obtained Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores at admission and discharge for 62 patients with blast-related TBI. We diagnosed HI only, VI only, and DSI in 19%, 34%, and 32% of patients, respectively.

Eye and visual function in traumatic brain injury.

Combat blast is an important cause of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the Department of Veterans Affairs polytrauma population, whereas common causes of TBI in the civilian sector include motor vehicle accidents and falls. Known visual consequences of civilian TBI include compromised visual acuity, visual fields, and oculomotor function. The visual consequences of TBI related to blast remain largely unknown.

Visual impairment and dysfunction in combat-injured servicemembers with traumatic brain injury.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequencies of visual impairment and dysfunction among combat-injured Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center (PRC) inpatient and Polytrauma Network Site (PNS) outpatient military personnel with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Methods: A retrospective analysis of data from vision screenings of 68 PRC-inpatients with moderate to severe levels of TBI and 124 PNS-outpatients with mild TBI at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System was conducted.

Results: Eighty-four percent of PRC-inpatients and 90% of PNS-outpatients had TBIs associated with a blast event.

Program development and defining characteristics of returning military in a VA Polytrauma Network Site.

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a new generation of combat survivors with complex physical injuries and emotional trauma. This article reports the initial implementation of the Polytrauma Network Site (PNS) clinic, which is a key component of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Polytrauma System of Care and serves military personnel returning from combat. The PNS clinic in Palo Alto, California, is described to demonstrate the VA healthcare system's evolving effort to meet the clinical needs of this population.

Visual function in patients of a polytrauma rehabilitation center: A descriptive study.

Little is known about the visual function deficits associated with polytrauma injury. In this retrospective descriptive study, we examined the records of a clinic established to assess visual function in patients experiencing deployment-related polytrauma. We describe the clinical findings and present a vision examination protocol that may be useful for screening polytrauma patients in other settings.

Development and evaluation of a point-of-care interactive patient education kiosk.

We have developed an interactive patient education kiosk. The kiosk provides access to stored health information and to selected Websites via a high-speed Internet connection. The output is bilingual (English or Spanish) and an enclosed printer allows information to be printed and taken home for later reading.