VisioSync

Eight percent of the United States population–approximately 20 million people–suffer from visual impairments. These impairments are the leading cause of loss of independence for those above the age of 65. Consequently, seniors with vision loss have double the mortality rate than those without [1]. This is a growing problem as the proportion of our population above 65 is expected to grow by 47% by the year 2050 [2]. Additionally, the prevalence of vision loss is expected to increase by nearly 30% in the next decade [1]. Furthermore, eye diseases and vision loss cost the US $68 billion, annually [3]. Certain visual impairments like visual field loss (hemianopia, glaucomas, etc.), impaired eye movement, and visual neglect can pose serious safety hazards, particularly when navigating crowded areas and crossing the street. A leading cause of these visual impairments is stroke (ischemia). Every year 795,000 strokes occur in the US alone [4]. From this number, 65% of patients experience some form of vision impairment as a result of the brain having difficulty processing information from the eyes [5]. Most stroke victims that face vision loss do not fully recover. Visual impairment after a stroke reduces quality of life and causes social isolation due to the inability of navigating one’s surroundings with ease. This includes the performance of ordinary daily tasks such as walking outside, crossing the street and going to crowded areas. Current solutions, including prism glasses and eye exercises, are not always effective and often cause negative side effects such as headaches and nausea. There are no existing effective therapies that harness new technologies such as virtual reality and machine learning. These technologies have the potential to provide more robust visual aids for those facing visual impairment.