Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation
Neuro-optometric rehabilitation goes far beyond the standard 20/20 eye examination and use of traditional eyeglasses and/or contact lenses to sharpen central eyesight. The eye’s retina is a piece of brain tissue and can be affected by brain injuries, brain and nervous system disorders and neurochemical imbalances. Similarly, the retina can impact brain function and brain biochemistry by how it receives light stimuli and perceives its surrounding environment and how it integrates with auditory and other sensory systems.
Optometrists experienced in neuro-optometric rehabilitation utilize a variety of tests, protocols and visual learning games to evaluate and enhance a patient’s overall visual performance, visual function and visual processing capabilities, including eye alignment; eye movements and tracking; eye-hand coordination; binocular vision and depth; visual-motor and perceptual-cognitive skills; and various visual systems’ integration with other sensory systems, including hearing and balance.
Oftentimes, neuroplasticity can alter dysfunctional circuitry and symptoms of brain injuries, such as vertigo, concentration/attention problems and headaches, over time through redevelopment of visual processing skills and use of non-traditional “brain” eyeglasses, as well as other optometric interventions, including prisms and shading or colored tints.
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At the Mind-Eye Institute
We use the advanced technology and testing techniques of neuro-optometric rehabilitation to examine patients thoroughly — fully measuring their visual performance, visual processing capabilities and sensory integration with other body systems. With this information, Institute experts assess how light might be manipulated to positively impact each patient’s visual processing and can recommend tailored exercises to enhance overall visual performance. The goal is to find optimal ways of mitigating symptoms that have not improved or resolved through standard approaches.
Specifically, our Institute team offers patients prescriptive eyeglasses, contact lenses or other optometric interventions to::
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Maximize visual performance and processing by creating a stable balance between auditory and visual localization.
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Improve perception of the surrounding environment in order to modify behavior and enhance communication skills.
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Help rebuild brain pathways or develop new pathways that enhance the ability to learn, understand and interact with others with less effort.
Getting In Touch With Us
To find out the next steps of registering as a patient or registering a child as a patient, please call the Mind•Eye Institute office at 847.501.2020 or you can fill out our online New Patient Inquiry Form on the right.
Request an Appointment Today
MAKE THE CONNECTION
'Dr. Zelinsky Is Renowned'
~ Norman Doidge, M.D. & Clark Elliott, Ph.D., Dr. Patrick Quaid and Patricia S. Lemer praise her accomplishments:
"Zelinsky fit Elliott with a series of eyeglasses designed to improve the perceptual damage that made his life so difficult... Getting fitted for Zelinsky's eyeglasses is like no eye appointment you've ever had... Now, Elliott says, he is almost entirely symptom-free, able to problem-solve, multi-task and find his way easily — all abilities he lost in the auto accident in 1999. When he put on his Phase VI glasses he felt something that he hadn't felt for years: "I felt normal."
Review: 'The Ghost in My Brain'
- The Chicago Tribune
"One brilliant Chicago-area optometrist I know, Deborah Zelinsky OD, FNORA, FCOVD, has developed a unique, patented, easy-to-administer evaluation called the Z-Bell Test. This test measures the efficiency of integration between visual processing and listening....A 2014 study at Vanderbilt University found that children with autism do not synchronize their seeing and hearing...I have watched Dr. Zelinsky administer this test to disbelieving colleagues, who were astounded by its accuracy and results...Over the past two decades, The Z-Bell Test has become internationally recognized by the scientific community.”
- Patricia S. Lemer, Licensed Profesional Counselor (LPC)
"I visited Dr. Zelinsky, and she showed me how she can use optical lenses to alter sensory filtering, by directing light to different retinal cells and brain circuits. This can influence activity in the brain and the hypothalamus to better regulate body chemistry, sensory integration, and even some auditory processing. [Dr. Zelinsky] works frequently with patients working with learning and cognitive disorders as well as TBIs."
- Norman Doidge, M.D.
"I was delighted to have Dr. Zelinsky personally contribute to the book. Her wealth of knowledge in the area of visual development and visual processing is widely known, not just through her contribution of eye-care to the author of “The Ghost in My Brain”, but also via her Mind-Eye Institute and the lectures and training their provide. Dr. Zelinsky is not just colleague and a friend, but also a valued member of the neuro-optometric community and an invaluable bridge to other allied professions treating brain injuries. Her contribution to the book is deeply appreciated."
- Dr. Patrick Quaid, MCOptom, FCOVD, PhD
Clinic Business Hours:
Monday - Saturday
8:00 AM - 6:45 PM
Sunday - Closed
Using the Z-bell Test to Remediate Spatial Deficiencies in Non-Image-Forming Retinal Processing
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Using the Z-bell℠ Test to Remediate Spatial Deficiencies in Non-Image-Forming Retinal Processing By Clark Elliott [1], Cynthia Putnam [1], Deborah Zelinsky [2], Daniel Spinner [1], Silpa Vipparti [1] and Abhinit Parelkar [1] [1] DePaul University,...
Retinal Neuromodulation as a Non-Invasive Assessment and Treatment of Autonomic Function
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Retinal Neuromodulation as a Non-Invasive Assessment and Treatment of Autonomic Function by Deborah G Zelinsky, ODRetinal circuitry’s effect on body functions suggests that retinal stress tolerance might be a clinical indicator of stability of the...
Effects on Deep Brain Circuitry by Modulation of Retinal Signals
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Effects on Deep Brain Circuitry by Modulation of Retinal Signals by Deborah G Zelinsky, ODThis presentation carries current research further by describing probable effects of external retinal stimulation as a means to alter internal chemical...
Quantitative Electroencephalograms and Neuro-Optometry: A Case Study That Explores Changes in Electrophysiology While Wearing Therapeutic Eyeglasses
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Quantitative Electroencephalograms and Neuro-Optometry by Deborah G Zelinsky, OD & Corey FeinbergA Case Study That Explores Changes in Electrophysiology While Wearing Therapeutic Eyeglasses Abstract. The brain is equipped with a complex system...
Impact of Retinal Stimulation on Neuromodulation
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Impact of Retinal Stimulation on Neuromodulation by Deborah G Zelinsky, ODSince retinal signals are processed by many regions of the brain—not just the visual cortex—the implication is that retinal stimulation can affect other physical,...
The Emerging Field of Neuro-Optometry Provides a Synergistic Effect with Optometry
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: The Emerging Field of Neuro-Optometry Provides a Synergistic Effect with Optometry by Deborah G Zelinsky, ODEye glasses prescribed for central eyesight do not necessarily address peripheral processing and are not sufficient in some patients – such...
Auditory/Visual Integration Assessment and Treatment in Brain Injury Rehabilitation
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Auditory/Visual Integration Assessment and Treatment in Brain Injury Rehabilitation by Deborah G Zelinsky, ODRecent research has demonstrated that activating the retina – in particular, the peripheral retina – can influence inputs to the brain in...
Non-Invasive Assessment and Treatment of Autonomic Function Using Retinal Circuitry
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Non-Invasive Assessment and Treatment of Autonomic Function Using Retinal Circuitry by Deborah G Zelinsky, ODTwo patients with positional orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) had frequent symptoms of fainting spells due to autonomic...
fMRI Analysis of Three Concurrent Processing Pathways
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: fMRI Analysis of Three Concurrent Processing Pathways by Deborah G Zelinsky, ODThis chapter proposes a use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to obtain a visual stress biomarker. Introduction: Biomarkers are useful measurements to...
Overlooked Effects of Ambient Lighting on Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Overlooked Effects of Ambient Lighting on Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease by Deborah G Zelinsky, OD2011 International Conference on: Clinical Research: Dermatology, Ophthalmology and Cardiology Abstract Research has demonstrated that...
Remarkable Possibilities: Clinical Applications of Interactions Among the Cornea, Extraocular Muscles and Retina
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Remarkable Possibilities: Clinical Applications of Interactions Among the Cornea, Extraocular Muscles and Retina by Deborah G Zelinsky, OD2011 International Conference on: Clinical Research: Dermatology, Ophthalmology and Cardiology Abstract The...
Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Cortical and Subcortical Interfacing via Retinal Pathways
Mind-Eye RESEARCH: Brain Injury Rehabilitation: Cortical and Subcortical Interfacing via Retinal Pathways by Deborah G Zelinsky, ODMost patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have visual and nonvisual retinal signal processing problems with concomitant...
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Call
During Business Hours:
847.501.2020
info@mindeye.com
Northbrook Clinic Address
1414 Techny Rd,
Northbrook, IL 60062, USA
St Charles Visual Rehabilitation Center Address
2435 Dean Suite C
St Charles, IL 60175, USA
FAX
847.501.2021