After a stroke, people can struggle with visual perception problems such as recognising objects, faces or seeing colours or motion. This can make everyday tasks more difficult, impacting their wellbeing.
Visual perception problems often go undiagnosed as they’re difficult to detect. But stroke researcher, Dr Kathleen Vancleef, and her team have been developing a new tool to change this.
“My research is about improving the diagnosis of visual perception problems after stroke,” says Kathleen. “Visual perception is how the brain processes information coming from the eyes. For example, when I look at a flower, it’s the brain that recognises it’s a flower, works out what type of flower I’m looking at and where the flower is in relation to a tree that is standing behind it.
“But someone with visual perception issues might look at the flower but not be able to find it because their brain doesn’t recognise it as a flower.
“This can make daily life a struggle. For example, they might not be able to find the things they need when they go shopping. They can’t cross the road as they can’t judge the traffic. Or they find it hard to recognise faces, which can be distressing for them and their loved ones.
“We estimate that about 75% of stroke survivors with visual perception problems aren’t diagnosed and don’t get the support they need. Our research showed that this is because existing screening assessments aren’t fit for purpose.
“We spoke to occupational therapists (OTs) and orthoptists who work with stroke survivors and found that the existing tests take a long time to do – between 45 mins and an hour and a half. This makes it difficult for busy OTs to use and isn’t suitable for stroke survivors so soon after their stroke.
“To solve this problem, we’ve created a new tool, called the Oxford Visual Perception Screen, or OxVPS, that is quicker, easier to use and more accessible.
“We’ve involved stroke survivors and carers throughout our research. They’ve helped us with everything from telling us how to make the test clear and readable, to designing the studies we’re doing in hospitals to check OxVPS works as it should. Their feedback is very valuable as they know things that I can't know because I don’t have that lived experience.
“Even the illustrations used in the test were drawn by the carer of a stroke survivor, and photographs were taken by a professional photographer who’d had a stroke.
“This has helped us make the test more accessible to stroke survivors, including people with communication difficulties, spatial neglect, as well as common eye conditions, like cataracts.
“We recently launched OxVPS at the UK Stroke Forum in December 2023, and have made it freely available for NHS staff. We hope that healthcare professionals caring for stroke survivors will use it to help them diagnose visual perception problems more easily, and make sure patients get the support they need sooner.
“We also hope our research will help stroke survivors to understand more about their condition, so they know what rehabilitation or adjustments they need to make life easier.
“We’re now working with other researchers across the UK, many of whom I met through the Stroke Association, to improve treatments for visual perception problems.”
Learn more
Find out about the research we fund around the UK. You can also support our research by making a donation.
Stroke News magazine
This article is featured in the spring 2024 edition of our magazine, Stroke News. Subscribe to our future editions available in print, on audio CD, or via email.