Abstract

Visual field loss following a cortical lesion from stroke, brain surgery, or head trauma frequently manifests as homonymous hemianopia. Hemianopic field loss causes problems in mobility and navigation as well as reading. Patients frequently complain of bumping into obstacles on the side of the field loss and getting bruised on their arms and legs. The number of such accidents decreases with adaptation to the condition, presumably because patient are getting more cautious and use head and eye scanning techniques to avoid the pain. Despite such improvements many patients continue to suffer from the effects of limited visual field. Of great concern to many patients and vision rehabilitation personnel is the question of driving with such field defect. In all states where visual field requirements for driving are legislated, such field loss will disqualify drivers, unless qualified by special testing and licensing.

© 1998 Optical Society of America