Pioneering eye therapy which helps stroke and brain injury sufferers regain their vision is to be made more widely available.

The technology, developed by the University of Aberdeen, is set to help tens of thousands of people who experience partial sight loss every year.

It had previously been thought that the adult brain could not be altered after it had suffered injury.

Today though it is understood that technologies like the Neuro-Eye Therapy (NeET) developed by the university – described as physiotherapy for the eye – can yield results in damaged brains.

Professor Arash Sahraie, Professor of Vision Sciences at the University of Aberdeen and founder of Sight Science, said: “We now know that if we encourage a change in the brain, then changes are likely to take place and if no intervention occurs, no improvements are expected.

“The basis of the Neuro-Eye Therapy is similar to the approach currently taken in rehabilitating movement and speech disorders after stroke.”

NeET is a package that runs on an ordinary laptop and can be administered in patients’ homes.

Patients have to respond to patterns shown on screen which stimulate areas of the patient’s brain that have been injured causing sight loss.

Following therapy, patients have reported significant improvements in their sight which has given them increased navigational skills, helping them to carry out everyday activities such as crossing the road, as well as a better concentration span.

Professor Sahraie said: “Patients have reported an improvement in their sight as well as a range of other benefits, including being able to get about more easily, both inside and outside their homes, and finding reading much less of a struggle.”

Retired Aberdeen salesman John Henderson, 81, suffered a stroke three years ago which affected his left hand side, resulting in him using a wheelchair and leaving him almost totally blind in his left eye.

He began the therapy in December the same year – using the programme for around 45 minutes every day for 12 months.

He said: “It was at the end of the nine month period I could say there was a definite improvement in my sight.

“I still can’t see lower down in my left hand peripheral vision so I have to take care with kerbs or obstacles like low tables. But the improvement to my sight has made a difference to the quality of my life.

“Prior to the therapy there is no way I could have gone back to my bowling as I wouldn’t have had the confidence, but now I am back bowling with other partially sighted and blind bowlers.

“I have also gone from being unable to walk outside on my own to walking up to half a mile to visit a friend. I am also able to cross the road provided I take care. I would not have dared to do that before.”

The University of Aberdeen hopes to distribute NeET across Europe via its new offshoot company Sight Science Ltd.

It is hoped the programme will eventually be available on the NHS.