Visual impairment in children with CP is very common with a prevalence of 40 to 50%. The majority of children with CP have visual problems due to a neurological impairment not caused by ocular lesions, and in about 1 in 10 cases the condition is severe. The role of vision difficulties is often overlooked so there is an urgent need for the development of evidence-based vision interventions for infants with cerebral vision impairment (CVI).
VISIBLE is a multisite randomised controlled trial of early vision-aware and parent-directed environmental enrichment program. The study aims to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the VISIBLE intervention program and evaluate the efficacy of the VISIBLE program to lead to greater improvements of visual function, developmental outcomes and parent-infant emotional and relational development, as compared to standard care. Infants with cerebral visual impairment are recruited through neonatal follow-up programs and early detection networks in Pisa (Italy), Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia and then randomised into one of two groups, VISIBLE or standard care. VISIBLE-trained developmental therapists provide parent training, information and demonstration of appropriate activities for the infant either in the family home or via telehealth. Infants are then assessed at 12 months corrected-age on a range of measures including vision, cognitive and motor outcomes. Recently a series of nine parent booklets were designed and given to parents in the VISIBLE group to provide information based on the needs of the infant and the family. Currently 10 infants have been recruited in Queensland through the QEDIN-CP (Queensland Early Detection and Intervention Network – Cerebral Palsy) with 16 infants recruited overall.
This project is funded by Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
Chief Investigators: Prof. Roslyn Boyd, Prof. Andrea Guzzetta, Prof. Iona Novak, Dr Cathy Morgan, Dr Alison Salt, Prof. Catherine Elliott, Prof. Glen Gole, Dr Swetha Philip, Prof. Nadia Badawi, Prof. Stephen Rose, Dr Jurgen Fripp, Dr Kerstin Pannek.
Competitive funding: Cerebral Palsy Alliance grant PG15717 (2018-2022) $172,730
