Continuing education master's degree in

Optometry and Visual Therapy

• Types of scientific studies based on the evidence they provide.
• Design of the main types of scientific studies.
• Data types.
• Data analysis based on the type: parametric and non-parametric statistics.
•  Descriptive statistics for the two types of data: Gaussian bells and normal data.
• Inferential statistics for the two types of data (presenting the names of the typical tests).
• More detailed description of the 2 typical T-Test and correlation tests.
• Sensitivity and specificity of a test. ROC curve.
• Practical sessions with Minitab, Excel, etc.
• Professional communication.
• Realization of reports for other professionals.

• Anamnesis and symptoms.
• Binocular disorders.
• Types of strabismus (concomitant, non-concomitant, syndromes, torticollis).
• Amblyopia.
• Nystagmus.
• Visual disorders in brain lesions.
• Visual-vestibular evaluation.
• Clinical considerations when using prisms.
• Clinical considerations when using occlusions (total and partial).
• Motor evaluation of the visual system.
• Sensory evaluation of the visual system. ¿ Advanced diagnostic techniques (Eyetrackers, etc...)

• Neurobiology of the visual system
• The visual stimulus: light.
• The receiving organ: the eye.
• The retina and phototransduction.
• The optical pathways: retinogeniculocortical, retinocolicular, retinopulvinar.
• Coding light-darkness and color in the retina.
• Anatomical and functional organization of the striated visual cortex.
• Processing of visual information in the striated cortex.
• Information processing in the extra-striated visual cortex.
• Analysis of visual information in the inferior and temporal parietal cortex.
• Language Neurobiology
• Neural plasticity.
• Language Neurobiology.
• Language disorders: aphasia.
• Neurobiology of reading and writing and mathematical calculus.

• Introduction to the concept of learning.
• Neurological routes: how a visual impairment affects school learning.
• Theories of development and relationship with the visual system. 
• Diagnostic tests of visual processing involved in learning problems. 
• Visual efficiency tests.
• Communication with other professionals. 
• Optometric treatment in learning tests.

• Evaluation and treatment tools in hearing aids.
• Psychopedagogical evaluation and treatment tools.
• Evaluation and treatment tools in psychology.
• Special populations (Down and Asperger's syndromes, Autism, intellectually gifted cases, etc.).
• Evaluation and treatment tools in speech therapy.
• Interdisciplinary collaboration protocol: practical tool for the detection of learning difficulties, for referral to other professionals and for monitoring the evolution of the cases treated.

• Space design in vision therapy.
• Instruments and material.
• Design of a visual therapy programme.
• Visual therapy in: 
• Binocular disorders. 
• Strabismus (concomitant, non-concomitant, syndromes, torticollis).
• Amblyopia.
• Nystagmus.
• Problems with reading and writing and mathematics.
• Problems with laterality and right/left confusion.
• Loss of the visual field (hemianopia, peripheral loss...)
• Vision and Sport.

• Management of concussions.
• Visual abilities affected by concussions and Acquired Brain Injury (ABI).
• Optometric management of dizziness and vertigo.
• Visual field loss and visual neglect.

• Refractive management and protocols.
• Visual therapy in amblyopia.
• Vision therapy in comitant exotropia.
• Vision therapy in comitant endotropia.

• Knowledge of light for visual health.
• Visual neurophysiology.
• Clinical action. Optometric tests.
• Specific tests (pupillary study, functional fields, Van Orden star).
• Interpretation.
• Colour filters. Visual action.
• Practical cases.

• Interdependent motor and sensory development in humans.
• Motor patterns and neurological circuits supporting oculomotricity.
• Primitive reflexes in neurodevelopment. Current evidence and clinical application.
• Interdisciplinary work with developmental physiotherapy.

The main objective of this subject is for students to improve their clinical skills in visual therapy, applying most of the techniques they have learned during the master's degree to real patients.

• Select and correctly apply in each case the skills, abilities and competences in visual therapy and advanced optometry acquired beforehand.
• Know the different protocols for action for visual therapy depending on ech patient.
• Perform and interpret the necessary supplementary tests in vision examinations.
• Produce a clinical record appropriate to the patient's profile. Encourage collaboration with other healthcare professionals.

These internships will take place in visual therapy health facilities belonging to the Catalan Optometry and Visual Therapy Association (ACOTV) under the supervision of an in-company tutor, who will direct and supervise the student's work.

The company tutors will have instructions in the form of a rubric at their disposal, to guide them in their assessment of the students.

The Master's Thesis (MT) is an in-depth study of a topic or problem associated with visual therapy, in order to demonstrate the student's ability to apply the competences acquired in the master's degree course.

• Write and review documents with the appropriate format, content, structure, linguistic correction and register.
• Evaluate results and present them orally. Be able to communicate clearly and efficiently.
• Analyse, evaluate and respond appropriately to questions from the audience.

The student will complete the MT under the supervision of a lecturer in the School of Optics and Optometry, although it may be supervised jointly by two or more lecturers. The supervising lecturer will check that the student is making appropriate progress and on the quality of the work done at least three times during the semester. The tutor will also provide guidance and help when the student needs it. Tutoring sessions may take place face-to-face or online.

After two months from the start of the program, a TFM tutor will be assigned to each student, and both will agree on the topic to be developed. 

The TFM can be done individually or in a team (maximum 2 people), although, in this last case, each student will have to know in depth all the work and present and invidual memory in which his authorship is clearly reflected. 

A tribunal composed of three lecturers will evaluate the quality of the MT and award it a final grade.