Impact of cerebral visual impairment on the everyday life of cerebral palsied children

Summary A group of 43 patients suffering from cerebral palsy and cerebral visual impairment was compared with a group of 24 cerebral palsy patients with normal visual acuity, with regard to a functional level in daily life. Four categories were considered: communication, emotional contact, self-care and intelligence. Cerebral visual impairment-cerebral palsy patients scored significantly lower in all categories than cerebral palsy patients with normal visual acuity. In the cerebral visual impairment-cerebral palsy group, there was a higher frequency of tetraplegia compared with the group with normal acuity, but even after this predominance had been excluded, a significant difference remained. When dealing with cerebral palsy patients, occurrence of cerebral visual impairment must be taken into account. By initiating intervention programmes, one can prevent extra handicaps due to the consequences of diminished visual acuity.