Table 1. Studies on training in hemianopia.
| a) Studies on training to improve hemianopic reading impairment | |||
| Study | Method | Study design | Evidence level |
| 1. Kerkhoff et al. 1992 (11) | Optokinetic training with moving text | RMD | 2b |
| 2. Zihl 1984 (e32) | |||
| 3. Schütt et al. 2008 (12) | Oculomotor training | ||
| 4. Spytzina et al. 2007 (13) | Optokinetic training with moving text | RCT | 1b |
| 5. Reinhard et al. 2005 (14) | Restorative visual field training with an effect on reading | RMD | 2b |
| b) Compensatory exploratory saccade training to improve hemianopic orientation impairment | |||
| Study | Method | Study design | Evidence level |
| 1. Kerkhoff et al. 1992 (11) | Oculomotor training | RMD | 2b |
| 2. Zihl 1995 (15) | Oculomotor training | RMD | 2b |
| 3. Nelles et al. 2001 (16) | Oculomotor training | RMD | 2b |
| 4. Pambakian et al. 2004 (17) | Search task (single object) | RMD | 2b |
| 5. Bolognini et al. 2005 (e33) | Audiovisual training | RMD | 2b |
| 6. Roth et al. 2009 (18) | Search task (multiple objects) vs. visual field stimulation | RCT | 1b |
| 7. Keller & Lefin-Rank 2010 (e34) | Audiovisual vs. visual | RCT | 1b |
| 8. Lane et al. 2010 (e35) | Oculomotor training vs. attention training | RCT | 1b |
The studies that used optokinetic training reported an improvement in reading speed (studies 1 and 2 by a mean of 40 words (W)/min, study 4 by 20 W/min), but only study 4 was randomized and controlled (evidence level 1b). Study 3, which used oculomotor training, showed an increase in reading speed by 35 W/min (for single words and for numerals). Study 5 investigated the effect of visual field stimulation training to restore the blind half-field on reading ability. The effect of 7 W/min was not clinically relevant.
All studies reported an improvement in exploratory behavior after training, but studies 1–5 were carried out without a control group (evidence level 2b). Hence, the specificity of saccade training was not shown. Study 6 was the first to show the effectiveness of exploratory saccade training under randomized and controlled conditions (evidence level 1b). Study 7 described greater improvement with additional auditory stimuli compared to visual alone. Study 8 showed both methods to have similar effects.
RMD: repeated measurement design, RCT: randomized controlled study with a control group
Note: To the best of the author’s knowledge, all RCTs are included in this table.