Originally intended as a training device for athletes and law enforcement personnel, the Dynavision D2 has moved into the physical rehab arena as well. Patients recovering from strokes, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, or other neurological issues, and coping with age related cognitive challenges are regaining the needed motor skills necessary to relearn activities of daily living, such as driving. It can also be used to evaluate readiness to return to play in post-concussion situations. The D2 retrains or enhances visual skills such as peripheral awareness, eye-hand coordination, reaction, recognition, and focusing while supporting situational awareness, or the ability to stay aware and focused in stressful environments as opposed to developing stress-related tunnel vision. Its use strengthens the muscles around the eyes, too.
The D2 is a wall-mounted light board which has 64 switches arranged like the spokes of a bicycle wheel on a black screen. As the switches are lighted at random by one of several adjustable programs, the patient clicks on them and the D2 records the response time and accuracy of the patient's response, giving the patient's rehab team objective information for use in developing a treatment plan. An LED display in the middle of the board can be used to measure the patient's ability to divide attention between the given tasks. The D2 may be used on its own, or it may be combined with other tools and exercises to enhance overall coordination and balance, such as seating the patient on an exercise ball or standing them on an ankle balance system. Its height on the wall mount can be adjusted to accommodate a patient's height or mobility device usage.
In addition to the programs that light the switches, the D2 has other features to customize the sessions to a patient's needs. The switches can be operated with the touch of a finger, the side or back of the hand or a push from the palm. To accommodate restrictions in the upper body range of motion, only the switches in the center of the board, for example, could be lighted. The programs operate in two modes, one self-directed for developing visual attention skills and eye movement capability, and the other automatic for enhancing motor and cognitive processing at a higher speed for tasks such as driving. Each session lasts about ten to fifteen minutes, with the individual exercises lasting from thirty to 240 seconds to prevent boredom from setting in. The configuration of the D2 board and its features all help users to develop or regain peripheral vision skills, crucial not just for driving, but for enhancing awareness of one's surroundings.
Currently, the D2 is in use at some 600 hospitals throughout the US. Several professional athletes and race car drivers use it for training purposes as well. The Dynavision D2 has received coverage in feature articles and sports-related media. It has also been the subject of several academic journal articles.
Fran Jablway
and
Hulet Smith, OT
