Statistical Learning as a Novel Intervention for Cortical Blindness
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Vision Training and Learning Task.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Stroke, Ischemic, Hemianopia, Homonymous, Hemianopsia, Occipital Lobe Infarct. Basic parameters: 21 years — 75 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Overview
This project aims to develop a novel visual training paradigm for use in visually-intact participants and those sufferings from stroke-induced visual impairments. Our task design is built upon theories of statistical learning to reduce the overall training burden while still producing profound improvements to visual abilities. Efficacy will be first established in visually-intact controls before testing in stroke survivors to assess the feasibility of this form of learning in the damaged visual system.
Interventions
- Device Vision Training and Learning Task
Participants will be seated at a computer, and will be shown a random-noise visual stimulus drifting in one of eight directions. Participants will be instructed to indicate the direction of motion they perceive using a Sony Access Controller or a computer keyboard. Sound cues during stimulus presentation will also be used to ensure participants are aware of stimulus onset during the training task. After several repetitions of this visual training, a second set of visual cues will be presented t
Primary outcome measures
- Explicit Learning - Response Time [Time frame: Baseline]
- Implicit Learning - Triplet Familiarity [Time frame: Baseline]
Eligibility criteria
Cortically Blind participants
Inclusion criteria
- Between 21 and 75 years of age
- Residents of the United States or Canada
- Have successfully completed previous enrollment in Dr. Huxlin study (IRB #5966 or #75)
- Exhibit unilateral stroke or stroke-like damage to primary visual cortex or its immediate afferent white matter sustained within the specified age range of 21 - 75 years (verified by MRI and/or CT scans)
- Reliable visual field defects in both eyes (homonymous defects) as measured by Humphrey visual fields. This deficit must be large enough to enclose a 5-deg diameter visual stimulus.
- Able to fixate on visual targets reliably for 1000ms within 1-deg of visual angle.
- Willing, able, and competent to provide their own informed consent
- Normal cognitive abilities and be able to understand written and oral instructions in English
Exclusion criteria
- Past or present ocular disease interfering with visual acuity
- Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) worse than 20/40 in either eye
- Sustained documented or suspected damage to the dorsal Lateral Geniculate Nucleus
- Presence of diffuse whole brain degenerative processes
- History of traumatic brain injury
- Any other brain damage deemed by study staff to potentially interfere with training ability or outcome measures
- Documented history of drug/alcohol abuse
- Currently taking neuroactive medications which would impact training, as determined by PI
- Cognitive or seizure disorders
- One-sided attentional neglect
- Those who lack the competence or are otherwise unable to perform the visual training exercises as directed.
Control participants
Inclusion criteria
- Between 21 and 75 years of age
- No history of neurological disorder.
- Competent and responsible, as determined by the screening interview
Exclusion criteria
- Any damage to the visual system
- Those who are suffering from an active disease process involving their nervous system.
- Presence of cognitive or seizure disorders
- Best corrected visual acuity worse than 20/40 in either eye
- Presence of visual field loss from ocular disease or disorder
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Non-randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- University of Rochester Medical Center — Rochester
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06578117 · STUDY00009495