How Concussions Affect Visual Motion Processing and What to Do About It
Most people associate concussions with headaches, confusion, and memory problems. However, one of the most significant yet often overlooked consequences of a concussion is its impact on visual motion processing. This function allows the brain to interpret movement, track objects, and maintain balance—critical abilities for athletes, students, and professionals alike. When a concussion disrupts these processes, everyday activities such as reading, driving, and even walking in crowded spaces can become overwhelming.
Research has demonstrated that concussions can alter the brain’s ability to process motion, leading to dizziness, blurred vision, and difficulty navigating dynamic environments. Studies have also linked concussions to a heightened risk of visually induced motion sickness, where exposure to moving stimuli—such as scrolling on a phone or watching fast-paced sports—triggers nausea and discomfort (ScienceDirect, 2024).
Understanding how concussions affect visual motion processing is crucial for improving diagnosis, treatment, and recovery strategies, particularly in return-to-play decisions.
How the Brain Processes Visual Motion
Visual motion processing is primarily handled by the dorsal stream, also known as the "where" pathway, which runs from the occipital lobe (responsible for vision) to the parietal lobe (which controls spatial awareness and movement). This pathway allows us to:
Track moving objects
Maintain balance and coordination
Judge speed and distance
Adapt to shifting environments, such as walking through a crowded mall or catching a ball in sports
When a concussion occurs, this system can become disrupted, leading to delayed reaction times, motion sensitivity, and balance impairments. Athletes who rely on split-second decisions—such as soccer players responding to a pass or rugby players tracking opponents—may experience a decline in performance due to these deficits (MDPI, 2024).
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The Disruptive Effects of a Concussion on Visual Motion
Multiple studies have shown that individuals after sustaining a concussion may experience an increased reliance on visual input, which can overwhelm the brain’s normal processing abilities and lead to a condition known as visual vertigo. Instead of smoothly integrating visual and vestibular (inner ear balance) signals, the brain becomes overly dependent on vision, causing dizziness and disorientation (IOVS, 2024).
This explains why many concussion patients struggle in busy environments or experience discomfort with motion-heavy activities. Symptoms of visual motion dysfunction can include:
Dizziness and nausea when exposed to moving patterns (e.g., escalators, busy sidewalks, video games)
Blurred vision or difficulty focusing on fast-moving objects
Balance issues due to poor integration of vision and vestibular function
Headaches and eye strain when reading, especially on screens
A one-year follow-up study on patients with a concussion found that visual motion sensitivity persists in a significant number of individuals, even long after other symptoms have subsided (Helsinki Research Portal, 2024). This highlights the need for targeted rehabilitation strategies to address persistent concussion symptoms.
Who is Most at Risk?
While anyone who suffers a concussion can experience visual motion deficits, some groups are particularly vulnerable:
Athletes in High-Velocity or Contact Sports Soccer, football, hockey, and rugby players are at higher risk of concussions due to the physical nature of their sports. Studies on rugby players have shown that eye movement tracking can serve as a biomarker for concussion, revealing motion sensitivity issues even in cases where other symptoms appear mild (Leeds Beckett University, 2024).
Female Athletes Research suggests that female athletes may be more prone to visual motion sensitivity post-concussion, likely due to differences in neck strength, hormonal influences, and vestibular function (Neurology, 2024). High school girls' soccer players, in particular, show a higher likelihood of post-concussion motion sensitivity, emphasizing the need for targeted perceptual response training to reduce injury risk (MDPI, 2024).
Students and Professionals Who Rely on Screens Individuals who spend long hours in front of digital devices may experience exacerbated visual motion sensitivity post-concussion, leading to difficulty with reading, eye strain, and headaches.
Recognizing Visual Motion Deficits After a Concussion
Because visual motion issues are not always included in standard concussion assessments, many cases go undiagnosed. However, oculomotor testing—which evaluates eye movement and motion sensitivity—has been identified as a promising tool for concussion diagnosis (Liebert, 2024).
Incorporating motion sensitivity into a multi-modal evaluation into concussion protocols can improve detection and treatment, ensuring that visual impairments are addressed as part of the recovery process.
Testing and Diagnosis: How to Identify Visual Motion Processing Issues After a Concussion
Because visual motion dysfunction is often overlooked in standard concussion assessments, many individuals struggle with persistent symptoms without a clear diagnosis. This can delay recovery and increase the risk of re-injury, especially in athletes who return to play too soon..
Several key assessments can help pinpoint visual motion deficits:
1. Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS)
This widely used screen evaluates eye movements, motion sensitivity, and visual stability. It can detect dizziness, blurred vision, or difficulty tracking moving objects—key indicators of post-concussion dysfunction.
2. Optokinetic Testing
This test involves watching a moving pattern of stripes or dots while eye movements are recorded. Studies have found that patients after a concussion often show an excessive response to visual motion, leading to symptoms of visual vertigo (IOVS, 2024).
3. Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA) Testing
This assessment measures how well an individual can maintain clear vision while their head is moving. Concussions often impair this ability, contributing to motion-induced dizziness and balance problems.
4. Eye Tracking Technology
Advanced eye-tracking technologies can effectively identify concussion-related visual motion issues by analyzing eye movement patterns. They can provide objective data that can help determine when an athlete is ready to return to play with greater accuracy.
Treatment and Recovery: How to Restore Visual Motion Processing After a Concussion
Once a concussion has disrupted visual motion processing, structured rehabilitation is essential to retrain the brain and restore normal function. Research has identified several effective strategies for treating motion sensitivity and visual dysfunction in post-concussion patients.
1. Vision Therapy for Oculomotor Dysfunction
Studies on oculomotor rehabilitation have shown that structured vision therapy can significantly improve symptoms like dizziness, blurred vision, and tracking difficulties (Springer, 2024). This therapy involves:
Saccadic eye movement training: Helps the brain regain control over rapid eye shifts between objects.
Pursuit eye movement training: Improves the ability to smoothly track moving objects.
Gaze stabilization exercises: Reduces dizziness and improves balance by training the eyes to stabilize on a target.
Athletes recovering from concussions may benefit from sports-specific vision therapy to restore hand-eye coordination, depth perception, and motion tracking.
2. Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy (VRT)
Since concussions often disrupt the vestibular system, leading to motion sensitivity and balance issues, targeted vestibular therapy is essential for recovery.
Common VRT techniques include:
Balance exercises to retrain spatial awareness.
Head and eye movement drills to improve adaptation to motion.
Exposure therapy for visually induced dizziness, gradually reintroducing motion stimuli in a controlled manner.
3. Perceptual Response Training for Athletes
For athletes, perceptual response training—which combines visual motion exercises with movement-based drills—can reduce the risk of re-injury and improve reaction times (MDPI, 2024). This approach involves:
Tracking moving objects while performing physical tasks to recondition the brain for dynamic play.
Decision-making drills under visually complex conditions, such as responding to fast-moving targets.
This type of training has been particularly effective in female soccer players, who are at higher risk of prolonged visual motion sensitivity after concussions.
4. Gradual Return to Activity
Concussion recovery should follow a stepwise approach, ensuring that visual motion sensitivity does not worsen with exertion.
For athletes, a structured return-to-play protocol incorporating vision exercises is essential.
For students and professionals, accommodations such as blue light filters, larger fonts, and scheduled screen breaks can help ease visual strain.
Addressing visual motion deficits after a concussion isn’t just about symptom relief—it’s about restoring full brain function and protecting long-term neurological health. Monitoring symptoms closely and adjusting activity levels accordingly is critical to avoiding setbacks.
