What type of vision loss occurs in hemianopsia?

• A. Loss of central vision
• B. Complete blindness
• C. Blindness of one-half of the visual field
• D. Loss of peripheral vision

Answer: (C)

Hemianopsia refers to a specific type of visual impairment where there is a loss of vision in half of the visual field in one or both eyes. This condition typically results from damage to the visual pathways in the brain, often due to a stroke or other neurological injury, affecting either the left or right side of the visual field.

The correct choice highlights this essential characteristic of hemianopsia, which is the loss of vision in half of the visual field. This means that a person with hemianopsia may have difficulty seeing objects on one side, depending on which hemisphere of the brain is affected—left hemianopsia results in loss of vision on the left side, whereas right hemianopsia affects the right side.

In contrast, central vision loss refers to impairment directly affecting a person's ability to see details in the center of their vision, which is not the primary issue in hemianopsia. Complete blindness means total lack of vision and does not specifically address the half-field loss that occurs in hemianopsia. Loss of peripheral vision can occur in various conditions but does not specifically define hemianopsia, as hemianopsia distinctly affects one hemispheric side of the visual field rather than peripheral areas.