7 Healthcast: Vision

"By stimulating the remaining parts of the brain that are still active is the potential of re-wiring the brain so that function can be maintained," said Dr. Lotfi Merabet, of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

The Nova Vision program can be used in a lab or in a patient's home on their computer.

Patients focus on spots of light, or fixation points. When there's a change on the screen like the spots change color or move, a click the mouse is all it takes to let the program know they noticed the change.

"The idea behind this specific treatment for vision," explains Dr. Merabet, "is to try to show little spots of light in the part of the visual field that borders the seeing and non-seeing part of the visual field, you excite the remaining brain cells in order to activate the brain and try to regain the vision that is actually missing in that part."

Exercises are done twice a day, five to six days a week and patients can see improvements in their vision as early as three months into the treatment.

"It's non-invasive, there's no surgery, there's no medication involved. This is the opportunity for individuals to really gain some functionality of their vision and improve their quality of life," Dr. Merabet said.

Each program is designed specifically for each patient's needs.

Even though many patients have had success with the Nova Vision treatment, its getting mixed reviews in the medical community because no one has been able to explain exactly how or why it works.

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