The following is data from a presentation I gave to the International Society for Neuronal Regulation (iSNR) in 1997. The data is from a "case series" study in which I documented pre-post results from 40 consecutive patients with mild traumatic brain injury. What it shows is that the typical patient had very poor binocular convergence (median 8 prism diopters) and very poor binocular divergence (median 6 prism diopters). The normal convergence is 30 diopters and normal divergence is 18 diopters. So these folks were at about 1/3 of proper binocular visual control. That results in poor reading, poor depth perception, headaches doing close work and a general sense of confusion. You don't locate yourself quickly and automatically in your space, so there is a general anxious feeling. You don't know where it comes from, which makes it all the more strange.
This data also shows that virtually all patients can be
re-trained
to have normal binocular control. When this is done, problems with
reading,
depth perception and eye-strain headaches, as well as the anxiety are
greatly
reduced or eliminated. If you are not working with us in Edina,
Minnesota,
look for a "developmental/behavioral optometrist near you. Get this
fixed!!!!
