Sensory and perceptual functions in the cerebral palsied. 3. Some visual perceptual relationships.

Abstract

The relationships between specific aspects of peripheral ocular defects and perceptual deficits were investigated in a cerebral palsied population. The groups included 60 spastics, 60 athetoids and a control group of 60 non-neurologically impaired subjects. Subjects were equally grouped in age ranges of 7 to 9, 10 to 12, 13 to 15, 16 to 18 and 19 to 21. Sexes were equally represented. The visual system evaluation included measures of refractive error, amblyopia, binocular fusion, muscle balance, rotational abnormalities, visual acuity, visual fields, examination of the cornea and lens for opacification, and checking of the optic nerve, retinal vessels and macula for disease. The sensory and perceptual tests included somatosensory measures, stereognosis, depth perception, limb localization, cross-modality pattern discrimination and concept formation. An estimate of intelligence was obtained by administering the non verbal Full Range Picture Vocabulary Test. Our findings suggest that cerebral palsied children and young adults vary greatly in the nature and extent of their visual system defects and that those who are identified as spastics show qualitatively and quantitatively more defects than the athetoids. The pattern of significant correlations between visual and perceptual deficits differs for the spastic and athetoid groups, perhaps reflecting the presumed differences in loci of central nervous system damage. The correlations between performance on limb localization and specific visual defects are consistent with Luria's postulation of sensory analyzers, in this instance, the visual kinesthetic analyzer.