Early intervention for children with cerebral visual impairment: preliminary results

According to the ophthalmological literature, cerebral visual impairment (C VI) is defined as a temporary or permanent visual loss caused by a disturba nce of the posterior visual pathways and/or occipital lobes. The study of C VI is still a new field, and diagnosis is frequently difficult and sometime s may not even be considered. Different studies have taken into account var ious aetiologies of CVI. Neurological problems are common findings in child ren with CVI and this population may also show ocular abnormalities. The pr esent study reviews the clinical history of 76 patients who have been exami ned at the Robert Hollman Foundation, Cannero, Italy, over the past 3 yearn Infants and children were studied from birth to 4 years of age from both a neurological and an ophthalmological point of view. Taking the development of the children into account, responses to visual stimulation were analyse d in order to compare the behaviours exhibited by the sample with those des cribed in literature.