Year: 2026
Type: editorial
Abstract: millions of adults and children worldwide annually. 1,2 While historically categorized as "mild" due to the absence of gross structural lesions on standard neuroimaging, the persistent symptoms caused by diffuse axonal injury and subtle neural network disruptions can be profoundly disabling to these patients, affecting their quality of life. 3 Among the most frequent, yet frequently underdiagnosed, consequence of mTBI is oculomotor dysfunction (also known as ocular motor disorder), which ranges from inaccurate pursuit and saccadic eye movements, fixational deficits, vergence disorders, accommodative dysfunctions, to poor vestibular-visual integration. 4 For this reason, the oculomotor and visual sensory systems of each mTBI patient warrants an independent clinical evaluation, as the full extent of injury to each of these neurological components within this integrated system requires further investigation. 4 While the intervention strategies vary across healthcare disciplines, 5 structured vergence and accommodative therapy (i.e., vision therapy or neuro optometric vision rehabilitation therapy) can effectively remediate post-concussion oculomotor dysfunctions, reduce symptoms, and enhance functional outcomes through neural plasticity. 6 In addition, objective eye tracking assessments provide an accessible means to evaluate the functional status of the oculomotor system and determine the extent of injury. 7 With the combination of vision-specific mTBI survey instruments, this can provide a reliable approach for assessing oculomotor function, gauging injury extent, and defining clear treatment endpoints. 8 As emerging eye-tracking technologies are likely to make visual rehabilitation more accessible to mTBI patients, integrating objective oculomotor assessments into the patient's overall treatment plans will be essential to quantifying baseline deficits and monitoring treatment outcomes (Figure 1). The articles collected in this Research Topic illustrates a crucial paradigm shift in the management of post-concussion oculomotor dysfunction -moving from a reactive management approach towards a more proactive, objective and evidence-based treatment approach in visual rehabilitation. The topic's guest editors, Dr Yap Tiong Peng, Dr Chang Yaramothu, and Dr Sowjanya Gowrisankaran, extends their sincere gratitude to all the authors and peer-reviewers, whose rigorous contributions made this collection a success. The insights gathered from these articles will hopefully inspire more interdisciplinary collaboration among optometrists, ophthalmologists, vision scientists, neurologists, sports medicine, physiotherapists (physical therapists), and neuroscientists. The ultimate goal is to be able to translate these findings into improved functional outcomes and quality-of-life for patients who are recovering from mTBI / concussion.
Source: Frontiers in Neuroscience
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7223023915