In a breakthrough for diagnosing cerebral visual impairment (CVI), Dr Nicola McDowell, a senior lecturer at Massey University, has developed a specialised tool, the Austin Assessment app.
The app is a card-matching game that acts as a screening tool for CVI-related visual issues. Two versions of the app are available with different packages: one for families and personal use, one for professionals.
For her efforts, Dr McDowell has received a CVI Champion Award at an international CVI conference hosted by Perkins School for the Blind, US, where she was described as a transformative leader in the field.
In an RNZ interview, she explained how difficult CVI is to detect with standard eye exams, describing the condition as affecting how the brain processes visual information. Impairment occurs because of an injury or damage to the brain but, because it affects the vision without impacting the eye, it’s difficult to pick up through a basic eye test and often goes undiagnosed, she explained. Premature birth is one of CVI’s main causes and children born before 32 weeks’ gestation have an 86% chance of having visual issues.
Dr McDowell said the condition is often mistaken for learning a disability or a behavioural problem, so early detection can save a great deal of hardship – she said she knows this first-hand as she suffered a brain haemorrhage at age 16 and went undiagnosed for CVI. “My journey was horrendous. I struggled in class, was bullied… scraped through my first year at university and my first degree, attended countless ophthalmologist appointments and, because of all this, I suffered huge mental health issues. I do not want other kids sitting in a classroom struggling for so long."
