Page 461 - Total War on PTSD

through functional skill development. The two professions work as a team, but one was more math based, so off I went to optometry school.
During school, optometry students were taught that the majority of light signals entering the eye were used for eyesight, and a minority of signals traveled “elsewhere”. We spent four years after college learning how to put lenses on eyes to sharpen central eyesight and how to develop visual processing skills. At that time (1981), Illinois optometrists were not taught how to prescribe for peripheral retinal dysfunctions, nor were we allowed to dilate eyes or prescribe medication. Now, 35 years later, optometry has evolved from simple eyeglass prescribing to diagnosis and treatments of severe eye health conditions. In some states, minor eye surgery is allowed. A few years out of school and after seeing thousands of patients, it seemed as though the retinal signals that traveled “elsewhere” became more and more important in prescription choices. Patients would say that they saw clearly, but weren’t comfortable. Since the retina is made of brain tissue and is considered (along with the rest of the brain and spinal cord) part of the central nervous system, it made sense to learn more about brain function in order to understand the effects of eyeglass prescriptions better. Joining the Society for Neuroscience and the Society for Brain Mapping achieved that goal. The lectures and posters presented at annual scientific meetings were filled with up-to-date research on retinal functions. Yet, there was a large gap between the neuroscience discoveries and their applications in eye-care. To help close that gap, the Mind-Eye Connection began.
Patients who have problems are viewed as a puzzle meant to be solved. The clues come from observations, patient reactions and responses, as well as test results. Patterns emerge, indicating which treatment methods are most beneficial for each individual patient. There are relationships between what a person pays conscious
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