The relation between visual orienting functions, visual perception, and functional vision in children with (suspected) cerebral visual impairment

Background: Brain-based impairments in visual perception (VP), termed cerebral visual impair-ment (CVI), are heterogeneous. Aims: To investigate relations between functional vision and (1) visual orienting functions (VOF) and (2) VP. Methods and procedures: Forty-four children (Males = 20; Mean age = 9y11m) with (suspected) CVI were tested with an adapted virtual toy box (vTB) paradigm (eye tracking visual search task (VST) and a recognition/memory task), VP tests, a preferential looking eye tracking (PL-ET) paradigm, and the Flemish cerebral visual impairment questionnaire. Relations were tested with Spearman correlations. Outcomes and results: Functional vision was related to VOF and VP. Children who performed poorly on the VST performed worse on the PL-ET paradigm (r success rate = 0.508-0.654; r reaction time (to fixation) = 0.327-0.633; r fixation duration = 0.532; r gaze fixation area/error = 0.565). Faster VST reaction time was related to higher recognition/memory task accuracy (r =-0.385) and better object/picture recognition (r =-0.371). Higher accuracy in the recognition/ memory task was related to better object and face processing (r =-0.539), less visual (dis)in-terest (r =-0.380), and better clutter and distance viewing (r =-0.353). Conclusions and implications: In CVI, VOF, VP, and functional vision are interlinked, and when one is impaired, it negatively affects the others. Hence, quantitatively profiling basic functioning, higher-order and daily life abilities is crucial.