As I mentioned in my most recent email to the group our next set of posts will deal with refractive conditions. I thought before we broach that subject it may be a good idea to make sure everyone has a basic grasp of the anatomy of the eye and how that effects vision. The video is brief (less than 10 minutes) but gives a really entertaining and detailed description of not only the parts of the eye but how they work and interact. Click on the pic below to watch...
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Definition- Pursuits are slow movements which consist of the eye tracking a moving target. Linda Sanet, COVT describes them as "holding movements" whose purpose is to hold the object of regard still on the fovea. Due to the slower speed of a pursuit movement there is a certain amount of voluntary control where correction can be made during the movement unlike a saccade. Symptoms/Characteristics of a Pursuit Dysfunction-
Therapy- One of the great things I find about training accurate and efficient pursuits is that there is generally not a lot of equipment necessary. A patient can work on just watching his/her finger or I often use a penlight with a monster topper. Typically I will begin working laterally, then vertically once the patient is successful rotations such as circles and a smooth sideways figure eight. An example of this can be found in the video below using just a playing card as the target. Once the patient is smooth in all directions I begin asking questions (adding cognitive demand) which give me feedback as to how well developed the pursuit movement is. If it stops or pauses while the patient in answering the questions the movement is not yet well developed or automatic. Below is an interesting article from the Journal of Vision - ARVO about eye movements and perception that may be worth a read... The assignment that goes along with this topic is as follows:
In the comments below please state your definition of pursuits, the signs and symptoms (your own list) when deficient and detailed instruction for one therapy activity you use to address difficulty with pursuit eye movements. Please be as descriptive as possible for the benefit of the group and if you have any links or resources to share please feel free to do so here. |
VT Study GroupThis group is public and open to anyone that would like to participate. I encourage everyone to comment with your answers to each assignment at the bottom of each post so that the group may benefit as a whole. If you are currently in the process of certification please inform your mentor that you have joined a study group and share the link with them- I do not want to leave anyone out of the loop. Archives
November 2017
COVD Certification Guide |