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CompletedNCT05098236Updated Aug 25, 2026

Effect of Visual Retraining on Visual Loss Following Visual Cortical Damage

An interventional study of Training in the Blind Field and Training in the Sighted Field in Vision Loss Partial, Hemianopia and Hemianopia Homonymous, sponsored by University of Rochester. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 17 Years to 75 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-25.

Sponsored by University of Rochester · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 18 years after the study started (first participant enrolled Sep 2003, registered Oct 2021).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
280
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
17 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This project is intended to collect data using standard clinical tests and psychophysics to quantify the effect of visual cortical damage on the structure of the residual visual system, visual perception, spatial awareness, and brain function. The investigators will also assess the effect of intensive visual retraining on the residual visual system, processing of visual information and the use of such information in real-world situations following damage. This research is intended to improve our understanding of the consequences of permanent visual system damage in humans, of methods that can be used to reverse visual loss, and of brain mechanisms by which visual recovery is achieved.

02

Conditions studied

  • Vision Loss Partial
  • Hemianopia
  • Hemianopia Homonymous
  • Quadrantanopia
  • Stroke, Ischemic
03

In context

Hemianopsia

63 studies on the registry are indexed under Hemianopsia; 24 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 280 is above the median of 32 across 53 interventional studies indexed under Hemianopsia.

Browse Hemianopsia studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Rochester is the lead sponsor of 729 studies on the registry; 116 are open to participants now.

Of its 56 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 44 (79%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
17 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Eligibility criteria

Cortically Blind Subject Inclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects between the ages of 17 and 75, who have sustained damage to primary visual cortex at age 17 or later, and are rendered blind over a portion of their visual field.
  • Subjects must have some intact visual cortical areas (other than primary visual cortex) in the damaged brain hemisphere. This assessment will be made from MRI or CT scans of the subject's head, which will be obtained via standard release from their neurologist.
  • Subjects who demonstrate a clear deficit in either simple or complex visual perception in portions of their visual field.
  • Subjects who are competent and responsible, as determined by the Principal Investigator.
  • Subjects who will receive retinal electrophysiology (mfERG) testing must have a report from their ophthalmologist stating that they are able to receive dilating drops

Cortically Blind Subject Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects who do not possess damage of primary visual cortex or its immediate afferents
  • Subjects who are suffering from an active disease process involving their nervous system.
  • Subjects who are unable to fixate visual targets precisely with their eyes
  • Subjects who have unreliable vision fields from prior testing indicated by greater than 20% fixation losses, false positives or false negatives
  • Best corrected visual acuity worse than 20/40 in either eye
  • Impaired foveal sensitivity as indicated by visual field tests
  • Presence of vision loss from ocular disease or disorder
  • Presence of bilateral visual acuity loss from any source
  • Subjects who are suffering from one-sided attentional neglect
  • Subjects who have impaired auditory thresholds that would influence test results and training efficacy (all our testing and training involves sound as a cue for trial/stimulus onset or as feedback)
  • Persons who lack the competence or are otherwise unable to perform the visual training exercises as directed.

Control Subject Inclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects must be between the ages of 17 and 75 years of age
  • Subjects must report no history of neurological disorder.
  • Subjects who are competent and responsible, as determined by the Principal Investigator.

Control Subject Exclusion criteria:

  • Subjects who possess damage to the visual system
  • Subjects who are suffering from an active disease process involving their nervous system.
  • Subjects who are unable to fixate visual targets precisely with their eyes
  • Best corrected visual acuity worse than 20/40 in either eye
  • Presence of vision loss from ocular disease or disorder
  • Presence of bilateral visual acuity loss from any source
  • Subjects who are suffering from one-sided attentional neglect
  • Subjects who have impaired auditory thresholds that would influence test results and training efficacy (all our testing and training involves sound as a cue for trial/stimulus onset or as feedback)
  • Persons who lack the competence or are otherwise unable to perform the visual testing/training exercises as directed.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
280 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Cortically Blind Subjects

    Other: Training in the Blind Field

  • Placebo comparator
    Control

    Other: Training in the Sighted Field

Interventions

  • OtherTraining in the Blind Field

    A computer software and chin-rest necessary to perform visual training will be loaned to each subject to be used at home. Subjects will perform one to two daily training sessions in their home, consisting of 200-300 trials each. The visual task performed repetitively will involve discriminating the direction of motion, the presence of motion, or the orientation of a visual stimulus (either a small cloud of dots or bars) located at a predetermined location in the blind field. The computer program will automatically create a record of patient performance during each home training session. Subjects will train daily (about 40-60 minutes total), 5 to 7 days per week for at least 3 and up to 12 months at a time.

  • OtherTraining in the Sighted Field

    This training will take place in lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Subject will perform one daily training session, consisting of 200-300 trials each. The visual task performed repetitively will involve discriminating the direction of motion, the presence of motion, or the orientation of a visual stimulus (either a small cloud of dots or bars) located at a predetermined location in the visual field. The computer program will automatically create a record of patient performance during each training session. Subjects will train daily (about 30-40 minutes total), 5 to 7 days per week for at 7 - 14 days.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Direction Discrimination Threshold

    For each subject, the investigators will measure the change in ability to detect differences in the motion direction of visual stimuli relative to horizontal, measured in degrees of visual angle. These assessments will be based on what can be reliably detected at a 72-75% correct level of performance. These measures of change will be evaluated baseline and at each subsequent visit to the laboratory; minimally from baseline to 4-months, then baseline to 12-months from start of training.

    Time frame: Baseline, 4-months, 12-months

  2. Direction Integration Threshold

    This will measure the change in ability of subjects to integrate across a range of motion directions measured in degrees of visual angle. These assessments will be based on what range of motion directions can be reliably integrated at a 72-75% correct level of performance. These measures of change will be evaluated baseline and at each subsequent visit to the laboratory; minimally from baseline to 4-months, then baseline to 12-months from start of training.

    Time frame: Baseline to 4-months, 12-months

  3. Contrast Sensitivity for Direction

    Assessment of visual perception transfer to untrained psychophysical tasks of contrast sensitivity for direction discrimination. This is a change metric as transfer must be compared from pre- to post- each course of training. For each subject, the investigators will measure the ability to correctly detect the motion direction of visual stimuli that are also varying in contrast against a grey background. We will measure the luminance contrast that can be reliably detected at a 72-75% correct level of performance. These measures of change will be evaluated baseline and at each subsequent visit to the laboratory; minimally from baseline to 4-months, then baseline to 12-months from start of training.

    Time frame: Baseline, 4-months, 12-months

  4. Contrast Sensitivity for Static Orientation

    Assessment of visual perception transfer to untrained psychophysical tasks of contrast sensitivity for static orientation discrimination. This is a change metric as transfer must be compared from pre- to post- each course of training. For each subject, the investigators will measure the ability to correctly detect the orientation of non-moving visual stimuli that vary in contrast against a grey background. We will measure the luminance that can be reliably detected at a 72-75% correct level of performance. These measures of change will be evaluated baseline and at each subsequent visit to the laboratory; minimally from baseline to 4-months, then baseline to 12-months from start of training.

    Time frame: Baseline, 4-months, 12-months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Humphrey 10-2 and 24-2 perimetry

    The investigators will measure the change in visual sensitivity (measured in decibels) at all locations tested by the system. These measures will be evaluated at baseline and at each subsequent visit to the laboratory; minimally from baseline to 4-months, then baseline to 12-months from start of training.

    Time frame: Baseline, 4-months, 12-months

  2. Goldmann perimetry

    The investigators will measure the change in area of vision (degrees squared) as encompassed by each isopter, measured by one of 3 different light stimuli. The 3 isopters which will be compared are: I2e 1asb, 0.25 mm\^2 I4e 10asb, 0.25 mm\^2 V4e 1000asb, 64 mm\^2 These measures will be evaluated at baseline and at each subsequent visit to the laboratory; minimally from baseline to 4-months, then baseline to 12-months from start of training.

    Time frame: Baseline, 4-months, 12-months

  3. MAIA Visual Field Perimetry

    The investigators will measure the change in visual sensitivity (measured in decibels) at all locations tested by the system. These measures will be evaluated at baseline and at each subsequent visit to the laboratory; minimally from baseline to 4-months, then baseline to 12-months from start of training.

    Time frame: Baseline, 4-months, 12-months

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Flaum Eye Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center
    Rochester, New York 14642, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 25, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05098236
Responsible party
Krystel Huxlin (Professor, University of Rochester) — Principal investigator
First posted
Oct 28, 2021
Start date
Sep 26, 2003
Primary completion
Jun 4, 2024
Completion
Jun 4, 2024
Last update
Aug 25, 2026

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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