Looking for medical research help.

[sheltiesong.livejournal.com]

Moderators, feel free to delate if this doesn't belong. I checked the community user-info page, and I couldn't find guidelines either way.

I'm running into a roadblock with a Lotrips fic I'm working on. I'm eight chapters into the outlining process, but it won't get much further unless I can find the info I need, and attempts at Google, my own LJ and a couple of message boards haven't yielded much. I know we have some medical-types here, so I thought it was worth a shot.

Does anyone know of where I can find any information on visual impairment in adults as a result of traumatic brain injury? Most everything I've found has dealt with the kiddie set. I'm interested in anything detailing the pathogenesis, treatment options and prognosis.

If anyone can help *gives ya'all the big hopeful puppy-eyes* please comment here or email me at sheltiesong at yahoo dot com. I can also be AIM'd at SheltieVC or Yahoo messaged at sheltiesong. Thanks muchly! I really want to do this one right; badly researched fics make me twitchy. :)

Comments

[fyre02.livejournal.com]

You may already have this info but if its any help the area of the brain you're dealing with is the occipital lobe, particularly Brodmann's area 17. Damage to the primary visual area of this part of the brain can cause blind spots or total blindness, depending on the extent of the injury. Damage to the secondary visual areas can cause something called visual agnosia. To quote the neuroscience textbook that I just dug out "people with this condition can see visual stimuli, but cannot associate them with any meaning or identify their function."

Sorry if thats not much help!

[sheltiesong.livejournal.com]

Thanks, the Brodmann's area was info I didn't have! *bounces happily* :)

[fyre02.livejournal.com]

Don't know if this might help as well:

http://www.neuroskills.com/ :)

[fyre02.livejournal.com]

Gah. Sorry, can only get it to link to the main site. I typed 'blindness' into the search box and it gave me more info. Hope it helps!

[nurseowens.livejournal.com]

Well, blindness is not my area of expertise, but I do know a thing or two about brain injuries, since I'm an ex-ICU nurse.
If you like you can ask me what you need to know on LJnurseowens AT yahoo DOT com and I'll see what answers I can come up with.

[sheltiesong.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks so much! *starts cobbling together an email*

[tarteaucitron.livejournal.com]

I don't know a lot about visual impairment per se, but something that can happen in brain damage is hemi-neglect. It's caused by damage to the non-dominant parietal lobe (usually the right one), and in visual terms can mean that the person won't notice things in the affected visual field (the opposite one to the affected lobe) - which can produce quite a bizarre presentation. I don't know much about treatment, but it can be compensated for by offering visual stimulus in the right visual field only, plating up food on the right side of the plate, sitting to the right of the person while talking etc.

Also, have a look here: http://www.visionww.org/drswindsor-stroke.htm

[sheltiesong.livejournal.com]

Thank you! *bookmarks* I'm going the total blindness route here, but this could work wonderfully with a secondary character.