Balint's syndrome and post-acute brain injury rehabilitation: a case report

Background: Balint's syndrome includes the clinical symptom triad of simultagnosia, ocular apraxia and optic ataxia. These symptoms, in combination, are rare and can be quite debilitating as they impact visuospatial skills, visual scanning and attentional mechanisms. Case Study: The literature addressing rehabilitation of individuals with Balint's syndrome is sparse. The current case report describes the outcome of a 58-year old male who presented with Balint's syndrome secondary to severe traumatic brain injury and following completion of a comprehensive post-acute brain injury rehabilitation programme. The patient was 4-months post-injury onset upon admission and received 6 months of rehabilitation services as an inpatient. The patient's comprehensive rehabilitation programme involved a 3-pronged approach including the implementation of (a) compensatory strategies, (b) remediation exercises and (c) transfer of learned skills in multiple environments and situations with implementation of psychoeducation and psychotherapy. Comprehensive neuropsychological and occupational therapy evaluations were performed at admission and at discharge in order to monitor cognitive, affective, neurological and functional change over time. Conclusions: Neuropsychological test improvements were noted on tasks that assess visuospatial functioning, although most gains were noted for functional and physical abilities.