Visual-Vestibular Mismatch

The vestibular system is located within the inner ear and helps maintain balance, spatial orientation, and understanding where the body is in space.  Damage to this system, whether at the inner ear (i.e. peripheral nervous system) or within the brain (i.e. central nervous system) during a concussion or other neurological event can result in vestibular dysfunction.  Symptoms of vestibular dysfunction may include dizziness, vertigo (a sensation of spinning or movement), disequilibria (a sensation of being wobbly or not feeling “grounded”), imbalance, discoordination, and spatial localization problems.  Vestibular dysfunction can lead to feelings of disequilibria and unsteadiness, making activities like walking or even standing challenging.

Visual and vestibular dysfunctions often occur together when certain areas of the brain are injured and their dual presence exacerbate one another and complicates the management of post-concussion syndrome.  For example, visual disturbance such as double vision can worsen feelings of dizziness and imbalance, while vestibular dysfunctions can interfere with eye movement control and coordination, leading to visual disturbances or difficulty adapting to glasses. 

A visual-vestibular sensory mismatch occurs when the spatial information coming from visual and vestibular systems do not agree with each other, creating conflict for the brain to precisely understand where its body is (i.e. internal space) relative to objects around it (i.e. external space).   This can result from errors in visual processing, vestibular processing, or both.  

Dr. Loopeker uses the term “Lost In Space” to describe the numerous possible consequences of such a sensory conflict, including being overwhelmed in busy environments, difficulty tracking moving objects, poor spatial awareness, balance difficulties, swaying to one side when walking, reduced eye-body coordination, motion sickness, nausea, brain fog, excessive fatigue, and associated anxiety.

Effective treatment of post-concussion syndrome involving visual and vestibular dysfunctions typically requires careful management of both systems simultaneously.  Treating only the visual or vestibular system in isolation when the two systems struggle to communicate with each other generally results in excessive symptom provocation and a longer recovery time.

Dr. Loopeker’s OpticNeuro Lens Therapy utilizes precise ophthalmic lenses to re-synchronize the visual and vestibular systems and reduce this sensory mismatch.  Improvements in balance, sense of groundedness, awareness of physical self, physical relaxation, and mental calmness, have all been clinically reported immediately once this neural connection has been re-established.  This repeatable therapy is thought to activate very specific parts of the brain stimulating neuroplasticity and facilitate healing.