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Diagnosed With Cortical Visual Impairment. How To Cure This?
Question: hi my 7 month old daugther has just been diagnosed with CVI... i dont know much about it but a few people say it can improve is this true? and can you give me more information about this condition?
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
I understand your concern .This is most unfortunate.
Cortical visual impairment as a result of periventricular leukomalacia along with deafness and global developmental delay is not a good situation for an infant.
One of the major causes of CVI is asphyxia, which means that the oxygen supply to the brain or parts of it, is interrupted. Since the visual cortex is the furthest away from the main blood supply, the oxygen is carried by the blood, the visual cortex is most vulnerable in case of interruption of blood supply. Of course, when this happens the visual cortex is not the only area affected, which is one of the reasons why CVI rarely occurs by itself.
Most children with CVI show some degree of improvement in their visual function. Children with acquired CVI due to a hypoxic insult generally tend to have a good recovery rate (60-70%) . With congenital CVI the prognosis is generally not that good. When an MRI scan shows extensive periventricular leukomalacia (damage to the white matter surrounding the ventricles, including the optic radiations), the prognosis generally is poor as well .
When preserved alpha rhythm in the occipital region can be demonstrated on an EEG, the chances of recovery are usually better .
Improvement in the use of vision will also occur through general maturation of the brain, experience through the other senses, and intervention. Sometimes improvement can be noticed over a period of several years.
Hope this answers your query.
If you have any other queries kindly direct them to me.
Wishing a speedy recovery.
Have a nice day.
Thank you for your query.
I understand your concern .This is most unfortunate.
Cortical visual impairment as a result of periventricular leukomalacia along with deafness and global developmental delay is not a good situation for an infant.
One of the major causes of CVI is asphyxia, which means that the oxygen supply to the brain or parts of it, is interrupted. Since the visual cortex is the furthest away from the main blood supply, the oxygen is carried by the blood, the visual cortex is most vulnerable in case of interruption of blood supply. Of course, when this happens the visual cortex is not the only area affected, which is one of the reasons why CVI rarely occurs by itself.
Most children with CVI show some degree of improvement in their visual function. Children with acquired CVI due to a hypoxic insult generally tend to have a good recovery rate (60-70%) . With congenital CVI the prognosis is generally not that good. When an MRI scan shows extensive periventricular leukomalacia (damage to the white matter surrounding the ventricles, including the optic radiations), the prognosis generally is poor as well .
When preserved alpha rhythm in the occipital region can be demonstrated on an EEG, the chances of recovery are usually better .
Improvement in the use of vision will also occur through general maturation of the brain, experience through the other senses, and intervention. Sometimes improvement can be noticed over a period of several years.
Hope this answers your query.
If you have any other queries kindly direct them to me.
Wishing a speedy recovery.
Have a nice day.
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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