| Sumario: | Background: Epidemiological studies suggest that the athletic population has a significant need for vision care. Recently, there has been an increased awareness and discussion of sports-related concussion, which can have a negative impact on athletic performance. The goal of this investigation is to characterize baseline performance of a cohort of elite athletes on a battery of sports vision tests. This information can: 1) serve as a baseline for comparison after an athlete is concussed, 2) help evaluate the effects of concussion on the visual system as it relates to athletic performance, and 3) help establish vision-related criteria for determining if and when an athlete is ready to return to play and perform at pre-concussive levels. Methods: Twenty-one male Major League Soccer athletes ages 18-35 were tested on 20 sports vision-related tests. Results: Eighteen of 21 subjects (86%) demonstrated one or more clinically significant problems with visual acuity, ocular health, binocular vision, and/or exhibited visual symptoms. The screening results indicate that 17% failed visual acuity, 26% displayed abnormal ocular health findings, 6% exhibited binocular vision problems, and 29% complained of at least one visual symptom related to a previous incident involving head trauma or concussion. Conclusion: This visual performance testing characterized baseline findings for this population and may help determine how deficits may interfere with optimum athletic performance at the elite level. The baseline testing could also serve as an indicator of recovery in acute vs. chronic stages and help determine if and when a concussed athlete is ready to return to play.
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