(Press Release) The American Optometric Association has issued the next iteration of its Brain Injury Electronic Resource Manual, titled Volume 1B, Traumatic Brain Injury Visual Dysfunction: Optometric Management and Advanced Topics, to help optometrists evaluate patients with traumatic brain injury.
With nearly 50 percent of the brain devoted to vision, optometrists play a crucial part of a multidisciplinary approach to brain injury care. Volume 1B provides an overview of optometric management protocols that are important to incorporate into the care of patients with visual sequelae of closed head trauma. It includes:
- Management of patients with visual sequelae of TBI
- The prescribing of contact lenses for TBI patients, management of low vision in TBI patients and more
- Sample case studies
- Practice management considerations
"This volume summarizes the foundations of optometric visual therapy/neuro-optometric rehabilitative therapy, thereby providing the primary eye care optometrist with the basics, emphasizing the importance of co-management with colleagues who provide optometric rehabilitative visual therapy services," said Chrystyna Rakoczy, O.D., chair of the AOA Brain Injury Committee.
The Brain Injury Electronic Resource Manual is managed by the AOA Vision Rehabilitation Section (VRS), which works with associated professionals and consumer organizations to improve access to comprehensive vision rehabilitation services and programs.
The first volume of the Brain Injury Electronic Resource Manual, Volume 1A, Traumatic Brain Injury Visual Dysfunction Diagnosis, launched in January 2014, focuses on evaluation and assessment of common visual conditions associated with TBI.
Both volumes of the Brain Injury Electronic Resource Manual are exclusive to AOA member doctors, who may download the manual on the VRS website (AOA member login required).