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Birch EE, Duffy KR. Leveraging neural plasticity for the treatment of amblyopia. Surv Ophthalmol 2024; 69:818-832. [PMID: 38763223 PMCID: PMC11380599 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Amblyopia is a form of visual cortical impairment that arises from abnormal visual experience early in life. Most often, amblyopia is a unilateral visual impairment that can develop as a result of strabismus, anisometropia, or a combination of these conditions that result in discordant binocular experience. Characterized by reduced visual acuity and impaired binocular function, amblyopia places a substantial burden on the developing child. Although frontline treatment with glasses and patching can improve visual acuity, residual amblyopia remains for most children. Newer binocular-based therapies can elicit rapid recovery of visual acuity and may also improve stereoacuity in some children. Nevertheless, for both treatment modalities full recovery is elusive, recurrence of amblyopia is common, and improvements are negligible when treatment is administered at older ages. Insights derived from animal models about the factors that govern neural plasticity have been leveraged to develop innovative treatments for amblyopia. These novel therapies exhibit efficacy to promote recovery, and some are effective even at ages when conventional treatments fail to yield benefit. Approaches for enhancing visual system plasticity and promoting recovery from amblyopia include altering the balance between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms, reversing the accumulation of proteins that inhibit plasticity, and harnessing the principles of metaplasticity. Although these therapies have exhibited promising results in animal models, their safety and ability to remediate amblyopia need to be evaluated in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen E Birch
- Crystal Charity Ball Pediatric Vision Laboratory, Retina Foundation, Dallas, TX, USA; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Kevin R Duffy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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Wygnanski-Jaffe T, Kushner BJ, Moshkovitz A, Belkin M, Yehezkel O. High-adherence dichoptic treatment versus patching in anisometropic and small angle strabismus amblyopia: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Ophthalmol 2024:S0002-9394(24)00374-X. [PMID: 39179129 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2024.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the effectiveness and safety of a novel binocular eye-tracking-based-home-treatment (CureSight) to patching for the treatment of amblyopia. DESIGN Prospective, masked, randomized controlled noninferiority trial. SETTING Multicenter, multinational, home treatment. PARTICIPANTS One hundred forty-nine children 4 to < 9 years with anisometropic, small-angle strabismic, or mixed-mechanism amblyopia were randomized to either binocular treatment (n=75) or patching (n=74). INTERVENTIONS The binocular treatment group used the CureSight system for 90 min/day, 5 days/week for 16 weeks (120 hours). The patching group received 2-hour patching 7 days/week (224 hours). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the mean improvement from baseline in amblyopic eye visual acuity (VA) to week 16 in both study groups (non-inferiority of ≤0.10 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR]). Other outcomes included changes in stereoacuity and binocular VA from baseline to week 16. RESULTS The mean improvement from baseline at week 16 in the binocular treatment group was noninferior to patching group improvement in the modified intent-to-treat (mITT) dataset (LS mean difference between groups in improvement from baseline: 0.034 logMAR (95% CI -0.009 to 0.076)). In the per-protocol (PP) dataset, the mean improvement from baseline at week 16 in the binocular treatment group was superior to patching group improvement (LS mean difference between groups in improvement from baseline: 0.05 logMAR ([95% CI; 0.007 to 0.097]). At week 16, both groups showed significant median improvement in stereoacuity, with no significant between-group difference in the magnitude of improvement in both the mITT and the PP datasets. Binocular VA was also improved in both groups (p<0.0001). Median adherence in the mITT binocular treatment group (94.0%) was also significantly higher than in the patching group (83.9%; p=0.0038). CONCLUSIONS Binocular, eye-tracking-based amblyopia home treatment is at least as effective as patching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Wygnanski-Jaffe
- Goldschleger Eye Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel- Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Burton J Kushner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
| | | | - Michael Belkin
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel- Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
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Kadhum A, Tan ETC, Fronius M, Baart SJ, Levi DM, Joosse MV, Simonsz HJ, Loudon SE. Supervised dichoptic gaming versus monitored occlusion therapy for childhood amblyopia: Effectiveness and efficiency. Acta Ophthalmol 2024; 102:38-48. [PMID: 37078540 DOI: 10.1111/aos.15674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the effectiveness and efficiency of supervised dichoptic action-videogame play to occlusion therapy in children with amblyopia. METHODS Newly diagnosed children with amblyopia aged 4-12 years were recruited, excluding strabismus >30PD. After 16 weeks of refractive adaptation children were randomized to gaming 1 h/week supervised by the researcher, or electronically monitored occlusion 2 h/day. The gaming group played a dichoptic action-videogame using virtual reality goggles, which included the task of catching a snowflake presented intermittently to the amblyopic eye. Contrast for the fellow eye was self-adjusted until 2 identical images were perceived. The primary outcome was visual acuity (VA) change from baseline to 24 weeks. RESULTS We recruited 96 children, 29 declined and 2 were excluded for language or legal issues. After refractive adaptation, 24 of the remaining 65 no longer met the inclusion criteria for amblyopia, and 8 dropped out. Of 16 children treated with gaming, 7 (6.7 years) completed treatment, whereas 9 younger children (5.3 years) did not. Of 17 treated with occlusion, 14 (5.1 years) completed treatment and 3 (4.5 years) did not. Of 5 children with small-angle strabismus, 3 treated with occlusion completed treatment and 2 treated with gaming did not. Median VA improved by 0.30 logMAR (IQR 0.20-0.40) after gaming, 0.20 logMAR (0.00-0.30) after occlusion (p = 0.823). Treatment efficiency was 1.25 logMAR/100 h (range 0.42-2.08) with gaming, 0.08 (-0.19-0.68) with occlusion (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Dichoptic gaming seems a viable alternative for older children with refractive amblyopia after glasses adaptation. Treatment efficiency with gaming under continuous supervision was 15 times higher than with occlusion at home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aveen Kadhum
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Emily T C Tan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Fronius
- Department of Ophthalmology, Child Vision Research Unit, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - S J Baart
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis M Levi
- Berkeley, Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Maurits V Joosse
- Department of Ophthalmology, Haaglanden Medical Center (HMC), Westeinde Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Huibert J Simonsz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoukje E Loudon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Zhu W, Tian T, Yehezkel O, Wygnanski-Jaffe T, Moshkovitz A, Lin J, Hu C, Liu R. A Prospective Trial to Assess the Efficacy of Eye-Tracking-Based Binocular Treatment versus Patching for Children's Amblyopia: A Pilot Study. Semin Ophthalmol 2023; 38:761-767. [PMID: 37339068 DOI: 10.1080/08820538.2023.2223275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess visual acuity (VA) and stereoacuity (SA) improvements in children with amblyopia treated with either binocular dichoptic treatment or patching treatment. METHODS In this pilot prospective coherent study, 34 participants between 4 and 9 years of age with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia and without history of prior amblyopia treatment were enrolled into three groups. Full treatment group (FTG; n = 12): participants were prescribed the binocular dichoptic treatment to watch for 90 minutes per day, 5 days a week. Part-time treatment group (PTTG; n = 8): participants were prescribed the same binocular treatment as FTG, 90 minutes per day, 3 days per week. Patching treatment group (PTG; n = 14): participants wore an adhesive patch over the dominant eye for 2 hours per day, 7 days per week. Amblyopic-eye distance visual acuity (DVA), near visual acuity (NVA) and SA were evaluated at baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. RESULTS At 12 weeks, mean amblyopic-eye DVA improved 1.8 lines (95% CI, 1.1-2.5) in FTG, 1.5 lines (95% CI, 0.4-2.7) in PTTG and 3.0 lines (95% CI, 2.0-4.0) in PTG. The amblyopic-eye NVA improved 2.9 lines (95% CI, 2.4-3.5) in FTG, 1.7 lines (95% CI, 0.5-3.0) in PTTG and 2.8 lines (95% CI, 1.8-3.9) in PTG. The SA improved 0.38 log-arcseconds (95% CI, 0.24-0.53) in FTG, 0.59 log-arcseconds (95% CI, 0.36-0.82) in PTTG and 0.40 log-arcseconds (95% CI, 0.13-0.67) in PTG. No significant differences were found in DVA, NVA or SA improvement between FTG and PTG at 12 weeks. CONCLUSIONS VA and SA after binocular dichoptic treatment produced a similar therapeutic outcome to patching, suggesting a potential value for binocular therapy when treating anisometropic moderate degree of Children's amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqing Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
| | - Tian Tian
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
| | | | - Tamara Wygnanski-Jaffe
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Goldschleger Eye Institute, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | | | - Jin Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
| | - Chanling Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Myopia (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Myopia, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (Fudan University), Shanghai, China
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Nowik M, Perna F, Dahlmann-Noor A, Stern J, Malkowski JP, Weisberger A, Webber A. Amblyopia-A novel virtual round table to explore the caregiver perspective. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2023; 43:1571-1580. [PMID: 37515472 DOI: 10.1111/opo.13209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE A survey aimed to capture the caregiver's perspective on the impact of amblyopia and its treatment on the child and family, as well as caregivers' views on the design and feasibility of clinical trials investigating dichoptic binocular therapies for amblyopia. METHODS Parents of amblyopic children, patient advocates and healthcare professionals took part in a moderated, structured discussion on a novel virtual advisory-board platform. RESULTS Seven parents of children with amblyopia, two patient organisation representatives, one ophthalmologist and one optometrist participated in the survey. A total of 645 posts were entered on the platform over a 14-day period in September 2021. There was widespread agreement that the management of amblyopia poses more of a burden on the child and family than the condition itself, with treatment burden accentuated when treatment is unsuccessful. Parents expressed uncertainty and frustration in relation to the duration of patching, success of patching and alternative treatment options, and felt there was inadequate readily available, easy-to-understand information on the condition. Parents reported that a new treatment for amblyopia, such as dichoptic binocular therapy using video games, should be safe, non-invasive and engaging compared with an eye patch. Treating at home, potentially for a shorter treatment duration, and with an entertaining game were the main reasons parents would join a clinical study with this type of novel therapy. However, due to a limited critical period treatment window, parents would feel more comfortable joining a clinical trial if traditional therapies were offered in conjunction with those under investigation. CONCLUSION Patient perspectives and the role of caregivers in the acceptance of any interventional treatments are increasingly recognised. Understanding how amblyopia and its treatment impacts a child and family should be an important premise to guide therapy and evaluate treatment value, both in clinical trials and in routine medical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jude Stern
- c/o International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | | | - Ann Webber
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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Simon-Martinez C, Antoniou MP, Bouthour W, Bavelier D, Levi D, Backus BT, Dornbos B, Blaha JJ, Kropp M, Müller H, Murray M, Thumann G, Steffen H, Matusz PJ. Stereoptic serious games as a visual rehabilitation tool for individuals with a residual amblyopia (AMBER trial): a protocol for a crossover randomized controlled trial. BMC Ophthalmol 2023; 23:220. [PMID: 37198558 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-023-02944-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amblyopia is the most common developmental vision disorder in children. The initial treatment consists of refractive correction. When insufficient, occlusion therapy may further improve visual acuity. However, the challenges and compliance issues associated with occlusion therapy may result in treatment failure and residual amblyopia. Virtual reality (VR) games developed to improve visual function have shown positive preliminary results. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of these games to improve vision, attention, and motor skills in patients with residual amblyopia and identify brain-related changes. We hypothesize that a VR-based training with the suggested ingredients (3D cues and rich feedback), combined with increasing the difficulty level and the use of various games in a home-based environment is crucial for treatment efficacy of vision recovery, and may be particularly effective in children. METHODS The AMBER study is a randomized, cross-over, controlled trial designed to assess the effect of binocular stimulation (VR-based stereoptic serious games) in individuals with residual amblyopia (n = 30, 6-35 years of age), compared to refractive correction on vision, selective attention and motor control skills. Additionally, they will be compared to a control group of age-matched healthy individuals (n = 30) to account for the unique benefit of VR-based serious games. All participants will play serious games 30 min per day, 5 days per week, for 8 weeks. The games are delivered with the Vivid Vision Home software. The amblyopic cohort will receive both treatments in a randomized order according to the type of amblyopia, while the control group will only receive the VR-based stereoscopic serious games. The primary outcome is visual acuity in the amblyopic eye. Secondary outcomes include stereoacuity, functional vision, cortical visual responses, selective attention, and motor control. The outcomes will be measured before and after each treatment with 8-week follow-up. DISCUSSION The VR-based games used in this study have been conceived to deliver binocular visual stimulation tailored to the individual visual needs of the patient, which will potentially result in improved basic and functional vision skills as well as visual attention and motor control skills. TRIAL REGISTRATION This protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT05114252) and in the Swiss National Clinical Trials Portal (identifier: SNCTP000005024).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Simon-Martinez
- University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO) Valais-Wallis, Rue de Technopole 3, 3960, Sierre, Switzerland.
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Sion, Switzerland.
- Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Maria-Paraskevi Antoniou
- University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO) Valais-Wallis, Rue de Technopole 3, 3960, Sierre, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Sion, Switzerland
- Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Walid Bouthour
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daphne Bavelier
- Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dennis Levi
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkley, Berkley, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin T Backus
- Vivid Vision, Inc, 424 Treat Ave., Ste B, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
| | - Brian Dornbos
- Vivid Vision, Inc, 424 Treat Ave., Ste B, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
| | - James J Blaha
- Vivid Vision, Inc, 424 Treat Ave., Ste B, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
| | - Martina Kropp
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Henning Müller
- University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO) Valais-Wallis, Rue de Technopole 3, 3960, Sierre, Switzerland
| | - Micah Murray
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Sion, Switzerland
- Institute of Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, Sion, Switzerland
- Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology, Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne (CHUV-UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gabriele Thumann
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Heimo Steffen
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pawel J Matusz
- University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO) Valais-Wallis, Rue de Technopole 3, 3960, Sierre, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- The Sense Innovation and Research Center, Lausanne and Sion, Sion, Switzerland
- Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Health Sciences, School of Health Sciences, HES-SO Valais-Wallis, Sion, Switzerland
- Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology, Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne (CHUV-UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Hearing & Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
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Chaturvedi I, Jamil R, Sharma P. Binocular vision therapy for the treatment of Amblyopia-A review. Indian J Ophthalmol 2023; 71:1797-1803. [PMID: 37203032 PMCID: PMC10391509 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_3098_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Amblyopia is a monocular or binocular reduction in visual acuity that results from prolonged visual deprivation in the early years of life. It is second only to refractive error as a cause of poor vision in children. The gold standard treatment of amblyopia includes patching and, less commonly, atropine penalization and filters. These therapies are aimed at improvements in the visual acuity of the amblyopic eye alone. They have compliance and psychosocial issues and gains are accrued after prolonged periods. Experimental studies have demonstrated the presence of binocular cortical communication even in amblyopes and neural plasticity in late childhood as well as adulthood. On this basis, binocular vision therapy aimed at the stimulation of both eyes rather than forced use of the amblyopic eye was developed. Such therapies involve visual tasks designed in such a way that they can be completed only by binocular viewing. These tasks vary from simple game play using red-green glasses, to engaging 3D games and movie viewing. Preliminary data suggest that binocular vision therapy has led to lasting improvements in visual acuity and can be a useful adjunct, if not replacement, to the conventional treatment of amblyopia. In this article, we aim to describe the various binocular vision therapies and review the available literature on the same.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isha Chaturvedi
- Comprehensive Services, Centre for Sight Eye Institute, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Rana Jamil
- Comprehensive Services, Centre for Sight Eye Institute, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Pradeep Sharma
- Strabismus Pediatric and Neuro-Ophthalmology Services, Centre for Sight, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, India
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Zhu Q, Zhao Q, Liang R, He X, Gao M. Effectiveness of binocular therapy as a complementary treatment of part-time patching in older amblyopic children: a randomized clinical trial. Int Ophthalmol 2023:10.1007/s10792-023-02642-0. [PMID: 36877316 DOI: 10.1007/s10792-023-02642-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the effectiveness of combined use of stereoscopic 3D video movies and part-time patching in treating older amblyopic children with poor response or compliance to traditional patching treatments and comparing this combined treatment with patching alone. METHODS Thirty-two children aged 5-12 years with amblyopia associated with anisometropia, strabismus, or both were recruited in a randomized clinical trial. Eligible participants were assigned randomly to the combined and patching groups. Here, binocular treatment refers to using the Bangerter filter to blur the fellow eye and subsequently watching a close-up 3D movie with large parallax. The primary outcome was amblyopic eye (AE) best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) improvement at six weeks. In addition, secondary outcomes included BCVA of AE improvement at three weeks and change of stereoacuity. RESULTS Of 32 participants, mean (SD) age was 6.63 (1.46) years, and 19 (59%) were female. At 6 weeks, mean (SD) amblyopic eye VA improved by 0.17 ± 0.08 logMAR (2-sided 95% CI, 0.13 to 0.22; F = 57.2, p < 0.01) and 0.05 ± 0.04 logMAR (2-sided 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.09; F = 8.73, p = 0.01) in the combined and patching groups, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (mean difference, 0.13 logMAR [1.3 line]; 95% CI, 0.08-0.17 logMAR [0.8-1.7 lines]; t25 = 5.65, p < 0 .01). After treatment, only the combined group had significantly improved stereoacuity, such as binocular function score (median [interquartile range], 2.30 [2.23 to 2.68] vs. 1.69 [1.60 to 2.30] log arcsec; paired, z = -3.53, p < 0.01), and mean stereoacuity gain was 0.47 log arcsec (± 0.22). Changes in other types of stereoacuity were similar. CONCLUSION Our laboratory-based binocular treatment strategy engaged a high level of compliance that led to a substantial gain in visual function after a short period of treatment for older amblyopic children having poor response or compliance to traditional patching treatments. Notably, the improving stereoacuity showed a greater advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, China.
| | - Ran Liang
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, China
| | - Xing He
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, China
| | - Mingjun Gao
- Department of Ophthalmology, the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, China
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Wygnanski-Jaffe T, Kushner BJ, Moshkovitz A, Belkin M, Yehezkel O. An Eye-Tracking-Based Dichoptic Home Treatment for Amblyopia: A Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial. Ophthalmology 2023; 130:274-285. [PMID: 36306974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Comparing visual outcomes after use of a novel binocular eye-tracking-based home treatment (CureSight; NovaSight, Ltd) with patching. DESIGN Prospective, multicenter, randomized, masked, controlled, noninferiority pivotal trial. PARTICIPANTS One hundred three children 4 to < 9 years with anisometropic, small-angle strabismic or mixed-mechanism amblyopia were randomized 1:1 to either CureSight treatment or patching. METHODS The CureSight treatment uses combined anaglyph glasses and an eye tracker to induce real-time blur around the fellow eye fovea in dichoptic streamed video content. Participants used the device for 90 minutes/day, 5 days/week for 16 weeks (120 hours). The patching group received 2 hours of patching 7 days/week (224 hours). The prespecified noninferiority margin was 1 line. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome was the improvement in the amblyopic eye visual acuity (VA), modeled with a repeated measures analysis of covariance. Secondary outcomes included stereoacuity, binocular VA, and treatment adherence rates, analyzed by a 1-sample Wilcoxon test within each group and a 2-sample Wilcoxon test comparing groups. Safety outcomes included the frequency and severity of study-related adverse events (AEs). RESULTS CureSight group VA improvement was found to be noninferior to patching group improvement (0.28 ± 0.13 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR] [P < 0.0001] and 0.23 ± 0.14 logMAR [P < 0.0001], respectively; 90% confidence interval [CI] of difference, -0.008 to 0.076). Stereoacuity improvement of 0.40 log arcseconds (P < 0.0001) and improved binocular VA (0.13 logMAR; P < 0.0001) were observed in the binocular treatment group, with similar improvements in the patching group in stereoacuity (0.40 log arcseconds; P < 0.0001) and binocular VA (0.09 logMAR; P < 0.0001), with no significant difference between improvements in the 2 groups in either stereoacuity (difference, 0; 95% CI, -0.27 to -0.27; P = 0.76) or binocular VA (difference, 0.041; 95% CI, -0.002 to 0.085; P = 0.07). The binocular treatment group had a significantly higher adherence than the patching group (91% vs. 83%; 95% CI, -4.0% to 21%; P = 0.011). No serious AEs were found. CONCLUSIONS Binocular treatment was well tolerated and noninferior to patching in amblyopic children 4 to < 9 years of age. High adherence may provide an alternative treatment option for amblyopia. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Wygnanski-Jaffe
- Goldschleger Eye Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Burton J Kushner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | | | - Michael Belkin
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
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Birch EE, Kelly KR. Amblyopia and the whole child. Prog Retin Eye Res 2023; 93:101168. [PMID: 36736071 PMCID: PMC9998377 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2023.101168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Amblyopia is a disorder of neurodevelopment that occurs when there is discordant binocular visual experience during the first years of life. While treatments are effective in improving visual acuity, there are significant individual differences in response to treatment that cannot be attributed solely to difference in adherence. In this considerable variability in response to treatment, we argue that treatment outcomes might be optimized by utilizing deep phenotyping of amblyopic deficits to guide alternative treatment choices. In addition, an understanding of the broader knock-on effects of amblyopia on developing visually-guided skills, self-perception, and quality of life will facilitate a whole person healthcare approach to amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen E Birch
- Pediatric Vision Laboratory, Retina Foundation of the Southwest, 9600 North Central Expressway #200, Dallas, TX, 75225, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5303 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
| | - Krista R Kelly
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5303 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA; Vision and Neurodevelopment Laboratory, Retina Foundation of the Southwest, 9600 North Central Expressway #200, Dallas, TX, 75225, USA.
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11
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Bui Quoc E, Kulp MT, Burns JG, Thompson B. Amblyopia: A review of unmet needs, current treatment options, and emerging therapies. Surv Ophthalmol 2023; 68:507-525. [PMID: 36681277 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2023.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Amblyopia is a global public health issue with extensive, multifaceted impacts on vision and quality of life (QoL) for both patients and families. Geographical variation exists in the management of amblyopia, with traditional mainstay treatments, optical correction, and fellow eye occlusion most successful when implemented at an early age. In recent years, however, studies demonstrating meaningful improvements in older children and adults have challenged the concept of a complete loss of visual processing plasticity beyond the critical period of visual development, with growing evidence supporting the potential efficacy of emerging, more engaging, binocular therapies in both adults and children. Binocular approaches aim to restore deficits in amblyopia that extend beyond monocular visual acuity impairment, including binocular fusion and visuomotor skills. In view of this, incorporating outcome measures that evaluate the visual performance and functional ability of individuals with amblyopia will provide a clearer understanding of the effect of amblyopia on QoL and a more comprehensive evaluation of amblyopia therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Bui Quoc
- Ophthalmology Department, Robert Debré University Hospital, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
| | | | | | - Benjamin Thompson
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Canada; Centre for Eye and Vision Research, Hong Kong
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12
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Li L, Xue H, Lai T, Xue Y, Luo G. Comparison of compliance among patients with pediatric amblyopia undergoing virtual reality-based and traditional patching method training. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1037412. [PMID: 36311619 PMCID: PMC9614073 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1037412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study aimed to compare compliance between pediatric patients with amblyopia undergoing a smartphone virtual reality-based training method (EYEBIT) and those receiving traditional patching method training. Methods A crossover design was adopted in this study. The enrolled children (n = 76) were randomized into the traditional patching and EYEBIT training method groups. The patients received training methods once a day for 2 h and 1 h in the patching and EYEBIT groups, respectively. Follow-up assessments involved interviews with parents regarding children's compliance and questionnaire-based interviews with children; compliance rating was compared between the methods. Results All children completed the training and follow-up assessments. There were significant differences in parent and children compliance-related behavior and attitudes between the two training methods (p < 0.05). The EYEBIT method was associated with better compliance than the traditional patching method. Significant correlations were observed among compliance components in both methods. In the correlation analysis between the two groups, the research results showed that in the EYEBIT group, the correlation between children's compliance behaviors and children's compliance attitudes, the correlation between children's compliance behaviors and parents' compliance behaviors, and the correlations between children's compliance attitudes and parents' compliance attitudes were all negatively correlated, and in the traditional patching group, the above three correlation analysis results were all positive. Conclusion The use of the EYEBIT method may improve compliance in children with amblyopia; this method appears acceptable to the parents of children with amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Ophthalmology Department, Fujian Provincial Hospital South Branch, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hailan Xue
- Ultrasound Department, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics & Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Taichen Lai
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ying Xue
- Ophthalmology Department, Fujian Provincial Hospital South Branch, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Fuzhou, China
- Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Gang Luo
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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The Study of Short-Term Plastic Visual Perceptual Training Based on Virtual and Augmented Reality Technology in Amblyopia. J Ophthalmol 2022; 2022:2826724. [PMID: 36091575 PMCID: PMC9458388 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2826724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Backgrounds. The treatment for amblyopia can have a substantial impact on quality of life. Conventional treatments for amblyopia have some limitations, then we try to explore a new and effective method to treat amblyopia. This study aimed to determine the potential effect of short-term plastic visual perceptual training based on VR and AR platforms in amblyopic patients. Methods. All observers were blinded to patient groupings. A total of 145 amblyopic children were randomly assigned into 2 groups: VR group (71 patients) and AR group (74 patients). In the VR group, each subject underwent a 20-min short-term plastic visual perceptual training based on a VR platform, and in the AR group, based on an AR platform. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fine stereopsis, and contrast sensitivity function (CSF) were measured before and after training. Results. The BCVA (P < 0.001) and fine stereopsis (P < 0.05) were improved significantly both in VR and AR group after training. Moreover, in the AR group, the CSF showed the value of all spatial frequencies had a statistically significant improvement after training (P < 0.05), while in the VR group, only the value of spatial frequency 12 improved significantly (P = 0.008). Conclusions. This study showed that the short-term plastic visual perceptual training based on VR and AR technology can improve BCVA, fine stereopsis and CSF of refractive amblyopia. It was suggested that the visual perceptual training based on the VR and AR platforms may be potentially applied in treatment for amblyopia and provided a high-immersing alternative.
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Comparison of Amblyopia Treatment Effect with Dichoptic Method Using Polarizing Film and Occlusion Therapy Using an Eye Patch. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9091285. [PMID: 36138594 PMCID: PMC9497621 DOI: 10.3390/children9091285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We developed a novel, low-cost, easily administered method that uses a polarizing film to enable dichoptic treatment for amblyopia. In this study, we compared its effects with occlusion therapy using an eye patch. Fifty-eight patients (aged 4.7 ± 1.0 years) diagnosed with anisometric amblyopia were included and instructed to wear complete refractive correction glasses with either occlusion therapy using an eye patch (eye patch group) or dichoptic treatment using polarizing film (polarizing film group) for 2 h per day. We examined the improvement in the visual acuity and compliance rate of the patients 2 months after treatment initiation. After treatment, the polarizing film group showed significant improvement in visual acuity compared with the eye patch group. Moreover, the compliance rate was significantly better in the polarizing film group than in the eye patch group. In both groups, there was a significant correlation between the improvement in visual acuity and compliance rate. This new dichoptic treatment using a polarizing film was shown to be effective for anisometropic amblyopia.
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Roy S, Saxena R, Dhiman R, Phuljhele S, Sharma P. Comparison of Dichoptic Therapy Versus Occlusion Therapy in Children With Anisometropic Amblyopia: A Prospective Randomized Study. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 2022; 60:210-217. [PMID: 35938643 DOI: 10.3928/01913913-20220627-02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare a smartphone-based dichoptic video game with occlusion therapy in children with anisometropic amblyopia. METHODS In this prospective, randomized, interventional study, 55 children aged 5 to 15 years with anisometropic amblyopia were randomized into two groups: the video game group (n = 27) played a dichoptic video game with adjusted contrast for 2 hours/day and the patching group (n = 28) received occlusion therapy of the non-amblyopic eye for 6 hours/day. All patients were evaluated for best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), near vision, contrast sensitivity, and near and distance stereoacuity at baseline and 1, 2, and 3 months. RESULTS Mean distance BCVA improved from 0.74 ± 0.19 and 0.70 ± 0.18 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) in the video game and patching groups, respectively, at baseline to 0.53 ± 0.19 and 0.49 ± 0.19 logMAR, respectively, at 3 months (P < .001 for both). Mean near vision was 0.82 ± 0.19 and 0.81 ± 0.17 logMAR in the video game and patching groups, respectively, at baseline and improved to 0.60 ± 0.16 and 0.63 ± 0.17 logMAR at 3 months (P < .001 for both). There was no significant difference in distance and near vision between the two groups at baseline and final follow-up visit. Contrast sensitivity was 1.41 ± 0.20 and 1.38 ± 0.20 in the video game and patching groups, respectively, at baseline and 1.74 ± 0.18 and 1.61 ± 0.21 at 3 months (P < .001 for both). At the final follow-up visit, contrast sensitivity was significantly better in the video game group compared to the patching group (P = .01). Near stereoacuity significantly improved only in the video game group (P = .006), whereas distance stereoacuity did not improve in either group. CONCLUSIONS Dichoptic video game therapy showed better results in terms of improvement in contrast sensitivity and near stereoacuity and similar outcomes for distance and near vision when compared to patching in children with anisometropic amblyopia. However, the availability of interesting games is essential to maintain children's interest. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 20XX;X(X):XX-XX.].
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of binocular treatment for individual with amblyopia. METHODS In this meta-analysis, a comprehensive search of literatures was performed from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases up to December 21, 2020. Sensitivity analysis was performed for all outcomes. The Begg's test was used to assess the publication bias. Heterogeneity test was conducted for each effect indicator. Indicators were analyzed by random-effects model when the heterogeneity statistic I2 ≥ 50%, on the contrary, indicators were analyzed by fixed-effect model. Standard mean difference (SMD) or weighted mean difference (WMD) was adopted as effect indicators, and the effect amount was expressed as 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS A total of 13 literatures including 1146 participants were finally enrolled, with 595 in the intervention group and 551 in the control group. The results indicated that the improvement of amblyopic eye visual acuity [SMD: 0.882, 95%CI: (0.152, 1.613), P = 0.018] in binocular treatment group was better than that in control group. And binocular treatment could improve stereo acuity in individual with amblyopia [WMD: 0.138, 95%CI: (0.068, 0.208), P < 0.001]. CONCLUSION Binocular treatment may be beneficial to visual acuity, stereo acuity and binocular function improvement for individual with amblyopia. In clinical practice, binocular treatment can be used as one of the treatments for individual with amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwen Jin
- Strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology, Quanzhou Aier Eye Hospital, Quanzhou Aier Eye Hospital, Quanzhou 362000, P.R. China
- *Correspondence: Liwen Jin, strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology, Quanzhou Aier Eye Hospital, No. 25, East Section of Huxin Street, Fengze District, Quanzhou 362000, P.R. China (e-mail: )
| | - Yiming Fang
- Strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology, Quanzhou Aier Eye Hospital, Quanzhou Aier Eye Hospital, Quanzhou 362000, P.R. China
| | - Can Jin
- Strabismus and pediatric ophthalmology, Quanzhou Aier Eye Hospital, Quanzhou Aier Eye Hospital, Quanzhou 362000, P.R. China
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Long-Term Efficacy of the Combination of Active Vision Therapy and Occlusion in Children with Strabismic and Anisometropic Amblyopia. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:children9071012. [PMID: 35883996 PMCID: PMC9315543 DOI: 10.3390/children9071012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the combined treatment of occlusion and active vision therapy in a total of 27 amblyopic children, including 14 strabismic and 13 anisometropic cases. For such purpose, changes in distance and near visual acuity as well as in the binocular function was evaluated during a two-year follow-up. In both amblyopia groups, significant improvements were found in distance and near visual acuity in the non-dominant eye (p < 0.001). In the strabismic amblyopia group, the percentage of patients with binocular function score (BF) > 3.3 decreased significantly from a baseline value of 64.3% to a two-year follow-up value of 7.1% (p < 0.001). In the anisometropic amblyopia group, this percentage also decreased significantly from a baseline value of 15.4% to a two-year follow-up value of 0.0% (p < 0.001). No recurrences were observed in the anisometropic amblyopia group, whereas recurrence occurred in two cases of the strabismic amblyopia group after finishing the vision rehabilitation process. In conclusion, the combined approach of the treatment evaluated is efficacious for providing an improvement in visual acuity and binocular function in both anisometropic and strabismic amblyopia, which was maintained over time.
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Evaluation of the Efficacy of a New Dichoptic Digital Platform to Treat the Anisometropic and Isometropic Amblyopia. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12070815. [PMID: 35884623 PMCID: PMC9312954 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12070815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to evaluate the results of a novel dichoptic training program using an online platform in a group of subjects with refractive amblyopia, performing a comparative analysis of unilateral and bilateral amblyopic cases. For this purpose, a retrospective study analysis of data of 161 children (4−13 years) who underwent dichoptic treatment with the Bynocs® platform (Kanohi Eye Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India) was performed. In all cases, the therapy protocol consisted of sessions of training of 30 min daily 5 times a week for 6 weeks. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the non-dominant eye improved significantly with the treatment, with a mean change of 0.39 logMAR in the whole sample (p < 0.001). Regarding binocularity, the binocular function (BF) score also experienced a significant improvement (p < 0.001), with a mean change of 1.55 with therapy in the whole sample. The BCVA of the dominant eye only improved significantly (p < 0.001) in the isometropic amblyopic subgroup. In conclusion, the use of the dichoptic therapy with the digital platform evaluated allows an effective restoration of visual acuity and binocular function in children with anisometropic and isometropic amblyopia.
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19
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Fixation instability, astigmatism, and lack of stereopsis as factors impeding recovery of binocular balance in amblyopia following binocular therapy. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10311. [PMID: 35725590 PMCID: PMC9209502 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13947-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Dichoptic therapy is a promising method for improving vision in pediatric and adult patients with amblyopia. However, a systematic understanding about changes in specific visual functions and substantial variation of effect among patients is lacking. Utilizing a novel stereoscopic augmented-reality based training program, 24 pediatric and 18 adult patients were trained for 20 h along a three-month time course with a one-month post-training follow-up for pediatric patients. Changes in stereopsis, distance and near visual acuity, and contrast sensitivity for amblyopic and fellow eyes were measured, and interocular differences were analyzed. To reveal what contributes to successful dichoptic therapy, ANCOVA models were used to analyze progress, considering clinical baseline parameters as covariates that are potential requirements for amblyopic recovery. Significant and lasting improvements have been achieved in stereoacuity, interocular near visual acuity, and interocular contrast sensitivity. Importantly, astigmatism, fixation instability, and lack of stereopsis were major limiting factors for visual acuity, stereoacuity, and contrast sensitivity recovery, respectively. The results demonstrate the feasibility of treatment-efficacy prediction in certain aspects of dichoptic amblyopia therapy. Furthermore, our findings may aid in developing personalized therapeutic protocols, capable of considering individual clinical status, to help clinicians in tailoring therapy to patient profiles for better outcome.
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Hou C, Nicholas SC. Perceptual learning with dichoptic attention tasks improves attentional modulation in V1 and IPS and reduces interocular suppression in human amblyopia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9660. [PMID: 35690626 PMCID: PMC9188564 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13747-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term and chronic visual suppression to the non-preferred eye in early childhood is a key factor in developing amblyopia, as well as a critical barrier to treat amblyopia. To explore the relationship between selective visual attention and amblyopic suppression and its role in the success of amblyopic training, we used EEG source-imaging to show that training human adults with strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia with dichoptic attention tasks improved attentional modulation of neural populations in the primary visual cortex (V1) and intraparietal sulcus (IPS). We also used psychophysics to show that training reduced interocular suppression along with visual acuity and stereoacuity improvements. Importantly, our results revealed that the reduction of interocular suppression by training was significantly correlated with the improvement of selective visual attention in both training-related and -unrelated tasks in the amblyopic eye, relative to the fellow eye. These findings suggest a relation between interocular suppression and selective visual attention bias between eyes in amblyopic vision, and that dichoptic training with high-attention demand tasks in the amblyopic eye might be an effective way to treat amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Hou
- The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94115, USA.
| | - Spero C Nicholas
- The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, 94115, USA
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Mehringer W, Wirth M, Roth D, Michelson G, Eskofier BM. Stereopsis Only: Validation of a Monocular Depth Cues Reduced Gamified Virtual Reality with Reaction Time Measurement. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS 2022; 28:2114-2124. [PMID: 35167462 DOI: 10.1109/tvcg.2022.3150486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The visual depth perception is composed of monocular and binocular depth cues. Studies show that in absence of binocular depth cues the performance of visuomotor tasks like pointing to or grasping objects is limited. Thus, binocular depth cues are of great importance for motor control required in everyday life. However, binocular depth cues like retinal disparity (basis for stereopsis) might be influenced due to developmental disorders of the visual system. For example, amblyopia in which one eye's visual input is not processed leads to loss of stereopsis. The primary amblyopia treatment is occlusion of the healthy eye to force the amblyopic eye to train. However, improvements in stereopsis are poor. Therefore, binocular treatments arose that equilibrate both eyes' visual input to enable binocular vision. However, most approaches rely on divided stimuli which do not account for loss of stereopsis. We created a Virtual Reality (VR) with reduced monocular depth cues in which a stereoscopic task is shown to both eyes simultaneously, consisting of two balls jumping towards the user. One ball appears closer to the user which must be identified. To evaluate the task performance the reaction time is measured. We validated our approach with 18 participants with stereopsis under three contrast settings including one leading to monocular vision. The number of correct responses reduces from 90% under binocular vision to 52% under monocular vision corresponding to random guessing. Our results indicate that it is possible to disable monocular depth cues and create a dynamic stereoscopic task inside a VR.
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Stoll N, Di Foggia E, Speeg-Schatz C, Meunier H, Rimele A, Ancé P, Moreau PH, Sauer A. Development and validation of a new method for visual acuity assesment on tablet in pediatric population: eMOVA test. BMC Ophthalmol 2022; 22:180. [PMID: 35439959 PMCID: PMC9020062 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-022-02360-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amblyopia is a major public health concern. Its screening and management require reliable methods of visual acuity assessment. New technologies offer nowadays many tests available on different app stores for smartphone or tablet but most of them often lack of scientific validation for a medical use. The aim of our study was to attempt validating a tablet-based near visual acuity test adapted to the pediatric population: the eMOVA test (electronic Measurement Of Visual Acuity) by comparing visual acuity measured with more conventional test. METHODS A cohort of 100 children aged 3 to 8 attending the ophthalmic-pediatric for eye examination between September 2016 and June 2017 were included in the study. Near visual acuity was assessed on participants using both the eMOVA test and a Standard test (Rossano-Weiss test). Duration of each test, its comprehension, its acceptability and the attention of the child during the test was also investigated. RESULTS The eMOVA test overestimated near visual acuity by 0.06 logMAR. This difference, statistically significant, was not clinically relevant. The duration of the eMOVA test was longer than the reference test, but less discomfort and preferred by children and their parents compared to standard tests. CONCLUSION The eMOVA test appears as a reliable test to assess near visual acuity in children. By its portability and efficiency, this application proved to be a relevant tool to be used for children eye examination in daily routine at the hospital.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Stoll
- Three borders ophthalmologic center, 76 rue de Battenheim, 68170, Rixheim, France.
| | - Elsa Di Foggia
- Colmar Civil Hospitals, 39 avenue de la Liberté, 68000, Colmar, France
| | - Claude Speeg-Schatz
- University professor, University hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 quai Louis Pasteur, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Hélène Meunier
- Cognitive and Adaptative Neuroscience Laboratory, Strasbourg University, 67000, Strasbourg, Alsace, France
| | - Adam Rimele
- SILABE Platform, Strasbourg University, Fort Foch, 67207, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Pascal Ancé
- SILABE Platform, Strasbourg University, Fort Foch, 67207, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Pierre-Henri Moreau
- SILABE Platform, Strasbourg University, Fort Foch, 67207, Niederhausbergen, France
| | - Arnaud Sauer
- University professor, University hospitals of Strasbourg, 1 quai Louis Pasteur, 67000, Strasbourg, France
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Abstract
Occlusion therapy has a long history as the gold standard treatment for amblyopia. Over the past two decades, large multicenter randomized controlled trials and objective dose-monitoring studies have characterized the effects of refractive correction, patching, and atropine penalization, providing insights into the impact of factors such as age and treatment dose. More recent approaches, whose development has been accelerated by advances in technology, are designed to provide different stimulation to the amblyopic eye and the fellow eye. This review explores a variety of such dichoptic approaches, categorized according to whether they primarily feature requisite use of the amblyopic eye in the face of fellow-eye masking, integration of visual information from both eyes, or reduction of stimulus salience in the fellow eye. It is still unclear whether dichoptic treatments are superior to traditional, low-cost treatment methods or whether their therapeutic mechanisms are fundamentally different from those of established treatments. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Vision Science, Volume 8 is September 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Meier
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA;
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Randomized clinical trial of streaming dichoptic movies versus patching for treatment of amblyopia in children aged 3 to 7 years. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4157. [PMID: 35264692 PMCID: PMC8905014 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08010-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrast-rebalanced dichoptic movies have been shown to be an effective binocular treatment for amblyopia in the laboratory. Yet, at-home therapy is a more practical approach. In a randomized clinical trial, we compared dichoptic movies, streamed at-home on a handheld 3D-enabled game console, versus patching as amblyopia treatment. Sixty-five amblyopic children (3–7 years; 20/32–125) were randomly assigned to one of two parallel arms, binocular treatment (3 movies/week) or patching (14 h/week). The primary outcome, change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at the 2-week visit was completed by 28 and 30, respectively. After the primary outcome, both groups of children had the option to complete up to 6 weeks of binocular treatment. At the 2-week primary outcome visit, BCVA had improved in the movie (0.07 ± 0.02 logMAR; p < .001) and patching (0.06 ± 0.01 logMAR; p < 0.001) groups. There was no significant difference between groups (CI95%: − 0.02 to 0.04; p = .48). Visual acuity improved in both groups with binocular treatment up to 6 weeks (0.15 and 0.18 logMAR improvement, respectively). This novel, at-home, binocular movie treatment improved amblyopic eye BCVA after 2 weeks (similar to patching), with additional improvement up to 6 weeks. Repeated binocular visual experience with contrast-rebalanced binocular movies provides an additional treatment option for amblyopia. Clincaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03825107 (31/01/2019).
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Le Z, Antonov E, Mao Q, Petrov V, Wang Y, Wang W, Shevkolenko M, Dong W. Anti-Fatigue Glasses Based on Microprisms for Preventing Eyestrain. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22051933. [PMID: 35271080 PMCID: PMC8914742 DOI: 10.3390/s22051933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Although microprisms have become an important medical means of strabismus treatment, related research concerning the design, fabrication, and testing of microprismatic glasses for preventing eyestrain has rarely been reported. In this study, the structure of microprismatic glasses for preventing eyestrain related to using electronic monitors, including computers and mobile phones, is introduced. A designing theory of anti-fatigue glasses with microprisms is developed. The fabrication technique and the process are described, and the performances of the fabricated microprisms are characterized. Finally, a compact testing system for the measurement of prismatic diopter is designed and constructed. This measuring system can be used not only for Fresnel microprisms, but also for other types of prisms. The measured results agree with our calculations. Although this study is focused on optimizing the objective prismatic diopter for anti-fatigue microprismatic glasses, 2.0–3.0 prismatic diopters (Δ) for each eye in the anti-fatigue glasses are suggested according to our experience on strabismus treatments. The clinical research for patients using the developed anti-fatigue glasses will be fully implemented in our further research to confirm the optimal subjective prismatic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichun Le
- College of Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China; (Z.L.); (Q.M.); (Y.W.); (W.W.)
| | - Evhen Antonov
- Institute for Information Recording, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 03113 Kiev, Ukraine; (E.A.); (V.P.)
| | - Qiang Mao
- College of Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China; (Z.L.); (Q.M.); (Y.W.); (W.W.)
| | - Viacheslav Petrov
- Institute for Information Recording, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 03113 Kiev, Ukraine; (E.A.); (V.P.)
| | - Yuhui Wang
- College of Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China; (Z.L.); (Q.M.); (Y.W.); (W.W.)
| | - Wei Wang
- College of Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China; (Z.L.); (Q.M.); (Y.W.); (W.W.)
| | - Marina Shevkolenko
- Kiev City Clinical Ophthalmological Hospital “Eye Microsurgery Centre”, 03680 Kiev, Ukraine;
| | - Wen Dong
- College of Environment, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-13306524039
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Manny RE, Holmes JM, Kraker RT, Li Z, Waters AL, Kelly KR, Kong L, Crouch ER, Lorenzana IJ, Alkharashi MS, Galvin JA, Rice ML, Melia BM, Cotter SA. A Randomized Trial of Binocular Dig Rush Game Treatment for Amblyopia in Children Aged 4 to 6 Years. Optom Vis Sci 2022; 99:213-227. [PMID: 35086119 PMCID: PMC8919092 DOI: 10.1097/opx.0000000000001867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Binocular treatment for unilateral amblyopia is an emerging treatment that requires evaluation through a randomized clinical trial. PURPOSE This study aimed to compare change in amblyopic-eye visual acuity (VA) in children aged 4 to 6 years treated with the dichoptic binocular iPad (Apple, Cupertino, CA) game, Dig Rush (not yet commercially available; Ubisoft, Montreal, Canada), plus continued spectacle correction versus continued spectacle correction alone. METHODS Children (mean age, 5.7 years) were randomly assigned to home treatment for 8 weeks with the iPad game (prescribed 1 h/d, 5 d/wk [n = 92], or continued spectacle correction alone [n = 90]) in a multicenter randomized clinical trial. Before enrollment, children wearing spectacles were required to have at least 16 weeks of wear or no improvement in amblyopic-eye VA (<0.1 logMAR) for at least 8 weeks. Outcome was change in amblyopic-eye VA from baseline to 4 weeks (primary) and 8 weeks (secondary) assessed by masked examiner. RESULTS A total of 182 children with anisometropic (63%), strabismic (16%; <5∆ near, simultaneous prism and cover test), or combined-mechanism (20%) amblyopia (20/40 to 20/200; mean, 20/63) were enrolled. After 4 weeks, mean amblyopic VA improved by 1.1 logMAR lines with binocular treatment and 0.6 logMAR lines with spectacles alone (adjusted difference, 0.5 lines; 95.1% confidence interval [CI], 0.1 to 0.9). After 8 weeks, results (binocular treatment: mean amblyopic-eye VA improvement, 1.3 vs. 1.0 logMAR lines with spectacles alone; adjusted difference, 0.3 lines; 98.4% CI, -0.2 to 0.8 lines) were inconclusive because the CI included both zero and the pre-defined difference in mean VA change of 0.75 logMAR lines. CONCLUSIONS In 4- to 6-year-old children with amblyopia, binocular Dig Rush treatment resulted in greater improvement in amblyopic-eye VA for 4 weeks but not 8 weeks. Future work is required to determine if modifications to the contrast increment algorithm or other aspects of the game or its implementation could enhance the treatment effect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan M Holmes
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of Arizona-Tucson, Tucson, Arizona
| | | | - Zhuokai Li
- Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, Florida
| | - Amy L Waters
- Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, Missouri
| | | | - Lingkun Kong
- Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Lubbock, Texas
| | - Earl R Crouch
- Virginia Pediatric Eye Center, Virginia Beach, Virginia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Susan A Cotter
- Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B Ketchum University, Fullerton, California
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Rodán A, Candela Marroquín E, Jara García LC. An updated review about perceptual learning as a treatment for amblyopia. JOURNAL OF OPTOMETRY 2022; 15:3-34. [PMID: 33243673 PMCID: PMC8712591 DOI: 10.1016/j.optom.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of our work is to do an update of recent investigations about amblyopia treatment based on perceptual learning, dichoptic training and videogames. Therefore, we conducted a search of the studies published about this subject in the last six years. The review shows that the investigations during that period have used several kinds of treatments regarding their design (e.g., type of stimulus and context used, duration of the training), and in a wider range of age that also include adults. Most of the studies have found an improvement in some mono and binocular visual functions, such as visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and stereopsis, which for now, it seems advisable that these processes could be used, as an alternative or a complement of the traditional passive therapy. Nevertheless, it would be plausible to conduct additional, controlled and random, clinical trials in order to discover in a more deeply way which perceptive learning method of treatment is more effective for the improvement of visual functions and for how long the effects of the treatment could persist.
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Lee YS, Choi SE, Hahm J, Kim MJ, Bae HS, Yi K, Lim HT, Hyon JY. Digital Therapeutics: Exploring the Possibilities of Digital Intervention for Myopia. Front Digit Health 2021; 3:710644. [PMID: 34713181 PMCID: PMC8521975 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2021.710644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric myopia is increasing globally and has become a major public health issue. However, the mechanism of pediatric myopia is still poorly understood, and there is no effective treatment to prevent its progression. Based on results from animal and clinical studies, certain neuronal–humoral factors (NHFs), such as IGF-1, dopamine, and cortisol may be involved in the progression of pediatric myopia. Digital therapeutics uses evidence-based software as therapeutic interventions and it has the potential to offer innovative treatment strategies for pediatric myopia beyond conventional treatment methods. In this perspective article, we introduce digital therapeutics SAT-001, a software algorithm that modulates the level of NHFs to reduce the progression of pediatric myopia. The proposed mechanism is based on a theoretical hypothesis derived from scientific research and clinical studies and will be further confirmed by evidence generated from clinical studies involving pediatric myopia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jarang Hahm
- S-Alpha Therapeutics, Inc., Seoul, South Korea
| | - Myoung Joon Kim
- S-Alpha Therapeutics, Inc., Seoul, South Korea.,Renew Seoul Eye Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - Kayoung Yi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Hyun Taek Lim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Joon Young Hyon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea
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Razavi ME, Najjaran M, Mohseni J, Aalaei S. Comparison of binocular game and patching in treating mild to moderate anisometropic amblyopia: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 2021; 22:760. [PMID: 34717748 PMCID: PMC8557523 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-021-05735-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amblyopia, as a neurodevelopmental preventable visual disorder, affects approximately 1.1 % in Asia. A binocular approach to treating amblyopia has been recently proposed. Whether the binocular playing game treatment is comparable to patching treatment needs further randomized clinical trials. To address this, the present research, designs, develops, and evaluates a new binocular game to treat amblyopia. METHODS This study has been designed as a non-inferiority, randomized, two parallel-group, controlled trial. Forty-four patients between 4 and 12 years diagnosed with amblyopia will be randomly assigned to the control and intervention groups. In the intervention group, amblyopia treatment is provided with red-green anaglyphic glasses and a red filter placed in front of the amblyopic eye, along with a game to be played for 30 min twice a day. Those in the control group will receive patch therapy according to amblyopia treatment study protocol. The primary outcome is to change visual acuity in the amblyopic eye from the baseline to 3 months after randomization. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The Ethics Committee of Mashhad University of Medical sciences' approval date was February 28, 2018, with a reference code of IR.MUMS.fm.REC.1396.783. Thus far, the recruitment of participants has not been completed and is scheduled to end in September 2021. The results will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials IRCT20180217038768N1 . Registered on 22 April 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marzieh Najjaran
- Department of Optometry, School of Paramedical Sciences, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Jaber Mohseni
- Eye Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Shokoufeh Aalaei
- Department of Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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Ong CW, Tan MCJ, Lam M, Koh VTC. Applications of Extended Reality in Ophthalmology: Systematic Review. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e24152. [PMID: 34420929 PMCID: PMC8414293 DOI: 10.2196/24152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality make use of a variety of different software and hardware, but they share three main characteristics: immersion, presence, and interaction. The umbrella term for technologies with these characteristics is extended reality. The ability of extended reality to create environments that are otherwise impossible in the real world has practical implications in the medical discipline. In ophthalmology, virtual reality simulators have become increasingly popular as tools for surgical education. Recent developments have also explored diagnostic and therapeutic uses in ophthalmology. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aims to identify and investigate the utility of extended reality in ophthalmic education, diagnostics, and therapeutics. METHODS A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials. Publications from January 1, 1956 to April 15, 2020 were included. Inclusion criteria were studies evaluating the use of extended reality in ophthalmic education, diagnostics, and therapeutics. Eligible studies were evaluated using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine levels of evidence. Relevant studies were also evaluated using a validity framework. Findings and relevant data from the studies were extracted, evaluated, and compared to determine the utility of extended reality in ophthalmology. RESULTS We identified 12,490 unique records in our literature search; 87 met final eligibility criteria, comprising studies that evaluated the use of extended reality in education (n=54), diagnostics (n=5), and therapeutics (n=28). Of these, 79 studies (91%) achieved evidence levels in the range 2b to 4, indicating poor quality. Only 2 (9%) out of 22 relevant studies addressed all 5 sources of validity evidence. In education, we found that ophthalmic surgical simulators demonstrated efficacy and validity in improving surgical performance and reducing complication rates. Ophthalmoscopy simulators demonstrated efficacy and validity evidence in improving ophthalmoscopy skills in the clinical setting. In diagnostics, studies demonstrated proof-of-concept in presenting ocular imaging data on extended reality platforms and validity in assessing the function of patients with ophthalmic diseases. In therapeutics, heads-up surgical systems had similar complication rates, procedural success rates, and outcomes in comparison with conventional ophthalmic surgery. CONCLUSIONS Extended reality has promising areas of application in ophthalmology, but additional high-quality comparative studies are needed to assess their roles among incumbent methods of ophthalmic education, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chee Wui Ong
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Marcus Chun Jin Tan
- Department of Ophthalmology, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael Lam
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Victor Teck Chang Koh
- Department of Ophthalmology, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Barriers to successful dichoptic treatment for amblyopia in young children. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2021; 259:3149-3157. [PMID: 34057550 PMCID: PMC8478762 DOI: 10.1007/s00417-021-05193-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose In an ongoing randomised clinical trial comparing dichoptic VR video games with patching for amblyopia, we evaluated any potential barriers to successful use of this novel amblyopia treatment method. Methods From December 2017, all newly diagnosed amblyopic children were recruited. Excluded were children under age 4 and patients with strabismus exceeding 30PD. The video game was played for 1 h per week at the outpatient clinic under direct supervision. Records were kept of difficulties encountered during treatment and categorised into domains. Factors influencing the successful completion of this treatment were identified and related to patient characteristics. Results Ninety-one children were recruited for the trial, 20 parents refused participation before randomisation, because of the logistical challenges the outpatient dichoptic treatment would cause them. Of the 17 children who commenced dichoptic treatment (median age 6.2 years; IQR 4.9–8.4 years), 10 did not complete treatment. Children under age 5.5 years were unable to comprehend the game settings or the game itself. Older children (N = 7; 41%) were less willing to comply with the video game. Loss of interest in the game (N = 8; 47%) was found to be a limiting factor at all ages. Conclusion Half of the children failed to complete VR dichoptic treatment, mainly due to young age. In countries with nationwide screening where amblyopia is detected before age 6, the applicability of such dichoptic treatment is limited.
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Liu XY, Zhang YW, Gao F, Chen F, Zhang JY. Dichoptic Perceptual Training in Children With Amblyopia With or Without Patching History. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 62:4. [PMID: 33944893 PMCID: PMC8107508 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.6.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Dichoptic training is becoming a popular tool in amblyopia treatment. Here we investigated the effects of dichoptic demasking training in children with amblyopia who never received patching treatment (NPT group) or were no longer responsive to patching (PT group). Methods Fourteen NPT and thirteen PT amblyopes (6-16.5 years; 24 anisometropic, two strabismus, and one mixed) received dichoptic demasking training for 17 to 22 sessions. They used the amblyopic eye (AE) to practice contrast discrimination between a pair of Gabors that were dichoptically masked by a band-filtered noise pattern simultaneously presented in the fellow eye (FE). Dichoptic learning was quantified by the increase of maximal tolerable noise contrast (TNC) for AE contrast discrimination. Computerized visual acuities and contrast sensitivity functions for both eyes and the Randot stereoacuity were measured before and after training. Results Training improved maximal TNC by six to eight times in both groups, along with a boost of AE acuities by 0.15 logMAR (P < 0.001) in the NPT group and 0.06 logMAR (P < 0.001) in the PT group. This visual acuity improvement was significantly dependent on the pretraining acuity. Stereoacuity was significantly improved by 41.6% (P = 0.002) in the NPT group and 64.2% (P < 0.001) in the PT group. The stereoacuity gain was correlated to the pretraining interocular acuity difference (r = -0.49, P = 0.010), but not to the interocular acuity difference change (r = -0.28, P = 0.15). Training improved AE contrast sensitivity in the NPT group (P = 0.009) but not the PT group (P = 0.76). Moreover, the learning effects in 12 retested observers were retained for 10 to 24 months. Conclusions Dichoptic training can improve, and sometimes even restore, the stereoacuity of amblyopic children, especially those with mild amblyopia (amblyopic VA ≦0.28 logMAR). The dissociation of stereoacuity gain and the interocular acuity difference change suggests that the stereoacuity gain may not result from a reduced interocular suppression in most amblyopes. Rather, the amblyopes may have learned to attend to, or readout, the stimulus information to improve stereopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang-Yun Liu
- The Affiliated Tengzhou Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Tengzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Yu-Wei Zhang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Gao
- The Affiliated Tengzhou Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Tengzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Fei Chen
- The Affiliated Tengzhou Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Tengzhou, Shandong Province, China
| | - Jun-Yun Zhang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Pang PCK, Lam CSY, Hess RF, Thompson B. Effect of dichoptic video game treatment on mild amblyopia - a pilot study. Acta Ophthalmol 2021; 99:e423-e432. [PMID: 32996689 PMCID: PMC8246520 DOI: 10.1111/aos.14595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Purpose The effect of contrast‐balanced dichoptic video game training on distance visual acuity (DVA) and stereo acuity has been investigated in severe‐to‐moderate amblyopia, but its effect on mild amblyopia and fixation stability has not been assessed. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effect of home‐based dichoptic video game on amblyopic eye DVA, stereo acuity and fixation stability in adults with mild amblyopia. Methods A randomized single‐masked design was adopted. The active 6‐week home‐based treatment was an anaglyphic, contrast‐balanced dichoptic video game, and the placebo was an identical non‐dichoptic game. Participants (n = 23) had mild amblyopia (amblyopic DVA ≤ 0.28 log Minimum Angle of Resolution (logMAR)). The primary outcome was change in amblyopic DVA at 6 weeks postrandomization. Near visual acuity, stereo acuity and fixation stability (bivariate contour eclipse area) were also measured. Follow‐up occurred at 12 and 24 weeks postrandomization. Results Mean amblyopic eye DVA was 0.21 ± 0.06 and 0.18 ± 0.06 logMAR for the active (n = 12) and placebo (n = 11) group, respectively. Amblyopic DVA improved significantly more in the active group (0.09 ± 0.05) than in the placebo group (0.03 ± 0.04 logMAR; p < 0.05). The difference between groups remained at 12 weeks postrandomization (p = 0.04) but not at 24 weeks (p = 0.43). Titmus stereo acuities improved significantly more in the active group (0.40 log arcsec) than in the placebo group (0.09 log arcsec) after 6 weeks of gameplay. The between‐group difference was still present at 24 weeks postrandomization (p = 0.05). There were no differences between groups on any other secondary outcomes. Conclusion Home‐based dichoptic video gameplay may be an effective method to improve amblyopic DVA and stereo acuity in mild amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter C. K. Pang
- School of Optometry The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Kowloon Hong Kong
| | - Carly S. Y. Lam
- School of Optometry The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Kowloon Hong Kong
- Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) Hong Kong
| | - Robert F. Hess
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Benjamin Thompson
- School of Optometry and Vision Science University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada
- Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) Hong Kong
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Rajavi Z, Soltani A, Vakili A, Sabbaghi H, Behradfar N, Kheiri B, Reza M. Virtual Reality Game Playing in Amblyopia Therapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 2021; 58:154-160. [PMID: 34039154 DOI: 10.3928/01913913-20210108-02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the visual outcome of occlusion therapy with virtual reality game playing as a new therapy for children with amblyopia. METHODS This randomized clinical trial was performed on 50 children between 4 and 10 years old who had unilateral amblyopia. They were randomly divided into virtual reality and patching groups (n = 25 in each). The virtual reality group was trained binocularly using the virtual reality games through a head set for 1 hour per day 5 days a week for 4 weeks. Patients in the patching group occluded their non-amblyopic eyes 2, 4, and 6 hours for mild (best corrected visual acuity [BCVA] 0.2 to 0.3 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR]), moderate (0.3 to 0.6 logMAR), and severe (worse than 0.6 logMAR) amblyopia, respectively. RESULTS The mean BCVA based on logMAR units improved significantly in both groups (P < .0001), but the difference between the two groups was not significant (P = .59). BCVA based on the responded letters improved in both groups (virtual reality: P = .0001, patching: P = .001), and change in BCVA in the virtual reality group was higher than in the patching group (P = .002). CONCLUSIONS Virtual reality game playing was equal or superior to patching in an analysis of linear and letter BCVA, respectively. Therefore, applying this new amblyopia therapy is recommended. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2021;58(3):154-160.].
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Hamm LM, Chen Z, Li J, Dai S, Black J, Yuan J, Yu M, Thompson B. Contrast‐balanced binocular treatment in children with deprivation amblyopia. Clin Exp Optom 2021; 101:541-552. [DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Hamm
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
| | - Zidong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,
| | - Jinrong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,
| | - Shuan Dai
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
| | - Joanna Black
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
| | - Junpeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,
| | - Minbin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China,
| | - Benjamin Thompson
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada,
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Min SH, Chen S, Xu J, Chen B, Chen H, Wang Y, Zhou J, Yu X. A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Eyetronix Flicker Glass and Patching for Treatment of Amblyopia in Children Reveals Similar Improvements in Vision. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:622729. [PMID: 33897345 PMCID: PMC8063027 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.622729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Recently, Eyetronix Flicker Glass (EFG) has been introduced as a novel treatment for amblyopia. It alternatively deprives the visual input of each eye rapidly (e.g., 7 Hz). However, whether it is comparable with standard patching therapy is unclear. In this randomized clinical trial, we evaluate the efficacy of an EFG therapy as treatment for amblyopia in children and compare it to the patching therapy. Methods We tested 31 children (aged 4–13 years) with amblyopia. They were assigned into one of the two treatment groups and were treated for 12 weeks. The first group was treated with EFG for 1 h/day (Flicker Group) and the latter with a standard patch (Patching Group) for 2 h/day. We designated changes from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the amblyopic eye as our primary outcome. Changes from baseline in other visual outcomes, such as contrast sensitivity, stereopsis, and fusional vergence range were measured as secondary outcome. Results BCVA improved significantly at 12 weeks relative to baseline in both the Flicker (0.13 ± 0.11 logMAR; mean ± SD) and Patching Groups (0.21 ± 0.14 logMAR). However, the improvements were not significantly different between groups (p = 0.13). Contrast sensitivity also significantly improved at 3 and 12 cycles/degree between baseline and 12 weeks in both groups (p’s < 0.05). However, stereopsis and fusion range did not improve significantly in both groups. Conclusion An EFG therapy and patching improved BCVA similarly for children with amblyopia at 12 weeks. Both therapies improved the contrast sensitivity at 3 and 12 cycles per degree (cpd); however, only patching improved the contrast sensitivity at 6 cpd. Both therapies did not benefit binocular visual functions (stereopsis and fusional vergence range). We believe that EFG can be an additional choice for therapy. Clinical Trial Registration chictr.org number: ChiCTR2000034436.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Hyun Min
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, McGill Vision Research, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Shijia Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jinling Xu
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Bingzhen Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Hui Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yuwen Wang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jiawei Zhou
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xudong Yu
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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Efficacy of Perceptual Learning-Based Vision Training as an Adjuvant to Occlusion Therapy in the Management of Amblyopia: A Pilot Study. Vision (Basel) 2021; 5:vision5010015. [PMID: 33807038 PMCID: PMC8006050 DOI: 10.3390/vision5010015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate preliminarily the efficacy of perceptual learning (PL) visual training in medium-term follow-up with a specific software (Amblyopia iNET, Home Therapy Systems Inc., Gold Canyon, AZ, USA) for visual acuity (VA) and contrast sensitivity (CS) recovering in a sample of 14 moderate to severe amblyopic subjects with a previously unsuccessful outcome or failure with patching (PL Group). This efficacy was compared with that achieved in a patching control group (13 subjects, Patching 2). At one-month follow-up, a significant VA improvement in the amblyopic eye (AE) was observed in both groups, with no significant differences between them. Additionally, CS was measured in PL Group and exhibited a significant improvement in the AE one month after the beginning of treatment for 3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles/º (p = 0.003). Both groups showed long-lasting retention of visual improvements. A combined therapy of PL-based visual training and patching seems to be effective for improving VA in children with amblyopia who did not recover vision with patching alone or had a poor patching compliance. This preliminary outcome should be confirmed in future clinical trials.
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Gao TY, Black JM, Babu RJ, Bobier WR, Chakraborty A, Dai S, Guo CX, Hess RF, Jenkins M, Jiang Y, Kearns LS, Kowal L, Lam CSY, Pang PCK, Parag V, Pieri R, Nallour Raveendren R, South J, Staffieri SE, Wadham A, Walker N, Thompson B. Adherence to home-based videogame treatment for amblyopia in children and adults. Clin Exp Optom 2021; 104:773-779. [PMID: 33689654 DOI: 10.1080/08164622.2021.1878834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical relevance: Home-based videogame treatments are increasingly popular for amblyopia treatment. However, at-home treatments tend to be done in short sessions and with frequent disruptions, which may reduce the effectiveness of binocular visual stimulation. These treatment adherence patterns need to be accounted for when considering dose-response relationships and treatment effectiveness.Background: Home-based videogame treatments are increasingly being used for various sensory conditions, including amblyopia ('lazy eye'), but treatment adherence continues to limit success. To examine detailed behavioural patterns associated with home-based videogame treatment, we analysed in detail the videogame adherence data from the Binocular tReatment of Amblyopia with VideOgames (BRAVO) clinical trial (ACTRN12613001004752).Methods: Children (7-12 years), teenagers (13-17 years) and adults (≥ 18 years) with unilateral amblyopia were loaned iPod Touch devices with either an active treatment or placebo videogame and instructed to play for a total of 1-2 hours/day for six weeks at home. Objectively-recorded adherence data from device software were used to analyse adherence patterns such as session length, daily distribution of gameplay, use of the pause function, and differences between age groups. Objectively-recorded adherence was also compared to subjectively-reported adherence from paper-based diaries.Results: One hundred and five of the 115 randomised participants completed six weeks of videogame training. Average adherence was 65% (SD 37%) of the minimum hours prescribed. Game training was generally performed in short sessions (mean 21.5, SD 11.2 minutes), mostly in the evening, with frequent pauses (median every 4.1 minutes, IQR 6.1). Children played in significantly shorter sessions and paused more frequently than older age groups (p < 0.0001). Participants tended to over-report adherence in subjective diaries compared to objectively-recorded gameplay time.Conclusion: Adherence to home-based videogame treatment was characterised by short sessions interspersed with frequent pauses, suggesting regular disengagement. This complicates dose-response calculations and may interfere with the effectiveness of treatments like binocular treatments for amblyopia, which require sustained visual stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Y Gao
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Joanna M Black
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Raiju J Babu
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - William R Bobier
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Arijit Chakraborty
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.,Chicago College of Optometry, Midwestern University, Midwestern, IL, USA
| | - Shuan Dai
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Ophthalmology, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Cindy X Guo
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Robert F Hess
- Department of Ophthalmology, McGill Vision Research, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michelle Jenkins
- National Institute for Health Innovation, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yannan Jiang
- National Institute for Health Innovation, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lisa S Kearns
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Lionel Kowal
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Carly S Y Lam
- School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Peter C K Pang
- School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Varsha Parag
- National Institute for Health Innovation, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Roberto Pieri
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Jayshree South
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Angela Wadham
- National Institute for Health Innovation, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Natalie Walker
- National Institute for Health Innovation, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Benjamin Thompson
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology, McGill Vision Research, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,School of Optometry, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China
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39
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Levi DM. Amblyopia. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 178:13-30. [PMID: 33832673 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-821377-3.00002-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental abnormality that results in physiological alterations in the visual pathways and impaired vision in one eye, less commonly in both. It reflects a broad range of neural, perceptual, oculomotor, and clinical abnormalities that can occur when normal visual development is disrupted early in life. Aside from refractive error, amblyopia is the most common cause of vision loss in infants and young children. It causes a constellation of perceptual deficits in the vision of the amblyopic eye, including a loss of visual acuity, position acuity, and contrast sensitivity, particularly at high spatial frequencies, as well as increased internal noise and prolonged manual and saccadic reaction times. There are also perceptual deficits in the strong eye, such as certain types of motion perception, reflecting altered neural responses and functional connectivity in visual cortex (Ho et al., 2005). Treatment in young children consists of correction of any refractive error and patching of the strong eye. Compliance with patching is challenging and a substantial proportion of amblyopic children fail to achieve normal acuity or stereopsis even after extended periods of treatment. There are a number of promising experimental treatments that may improve compliance and outcomes, such as the playing of action video games with the strong eye patched. Although there may be a sensitive period for optimal effects of treatment, there is evidence that amblyopic adults may still show some benefit of treatment. However, there is as yet no consensus on the treatment of adults with amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis M Levi
- School of Optometry & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States.
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Liu Z, Chen Z, Gao L, Liu M, Huang Y, Feng L, Yuan J, Deng D, Huang CB, Yu M. A New Dichoptic Training Strategy Leads to Better Cooperation Between the Two Eyes in Amblyopia. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:593119. [PMID: 33324154 PMCID: PMC7725751 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.593119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent clinical trials failed to endorse dichoptic training for amblyopia treatment. Here, we proposed an alternative training strategy that focused on reducing signal threshold contrast in the amblyopic eye under a constant and high noise contrast in the fellow eye (HNC), and compared it to a typical dichoptic strategy that aimed at increasing the tolerable noise contrast in the fellow eye (i.e., TNC strategy). We recruited 16 patients with amblyopia and divided them into two groups. Eight patients in Group 1 received the HNC training, while the other eight patients in Group 2 performed the TNC training first (Phase 1) and then crossed over to the HNC training (Phase 2). We measured contrast sensitivity functions (CSFs) separately in the amblyopic and fellow eyes when the untested eye viewed mean luminance (monocularly unmasked) or noise stimuli (dichoptically masked) before and after training at a particular frequency. The area under the log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF) of masked and unmasked conditions, and dichoptic gain (the ratio of AULCSF of masked to unmasked condition) were calculated for each eye. We found that both dichoptic training paradigms substantially improved masked CSF, dichoptic gain, and visual acuity in the amblyopic eye. As opposed to the TNC paradigm, the HNC training produced stronger effects on masked CSFs, stereoacuity, dichoptic gain, and visual acuity in the amblyopic eye. Interestingly, the second-phase HNC training in Group 2 also induced further improvement in the masked contrast sensitivity and AULCSF in the amblyopic eye. We concluded that the HNC training strategy was more effective than the TNC training paradigm. Future design for dichoptic training should not only focus on increasing the tolerable noise contrast in the fellow eye but should also "nurture" the amblyopic eye under normal binocular viewing conditions and sustained interocular suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zitian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zidong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Le Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Manli Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yiru Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lei Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Junpeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Daming Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chang-Bing Huang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Minbin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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Stimuli Characteristics and Psychophysical Requirements for Visual Training in Amblyopia: A Narrative Review. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9123985. [PMID: 33316960 PMCID: PMC7764820 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9123985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Active vision therapy using perceptual learning and/or dichoptic or binocular environments has shown its potential effectiveness in amblyopia, but some doubts remain about the type of stimuli and the mode and sequence of presentation that should be used. A search was performed in PubMed, obtaining 143 articles with information related to the stimuli used in amblyopia rehabilitation, as well as to the neural mechanisms implied in such therapeutic process. Visual deficits in amblyopia and their neural mechanisms associated are revised, including visual acuity loss, contrast sensitivity reduction and stereopsis impairment. Likewise, the most appropriate stimuli according to the literature that should be used for an efficient rehabilitation of the amblyopic eye are described in detail, including optotypes, Gabor’s patches, random-dot stimuli and Vernier’s stimuli. Finally, the properties of these stimuli that can be modified during the visual training are discussed, as well as the psychophysical method of their presentation and the type of environment used (perceptual learning, dichoptic stimulation or virtual reality). Vision therapy using all these revised concepts can be an effective option for treating amblyopia or accelerating the treatment period when combining with patching. It is essential to adapt the stimuli to the patient’s individual features in both monocular and binocular training.
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42
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Birch EE, Jost RM, Wang SX, Kelly KR. A pilot randomized trial of contrast-rebalanced binocular treatment for deprivation amblyopia. J AAPOS 2020; 24:344.e1-344.e5. [PMID: 33069871 PMCID: PMC8005476 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Binocular neural architecture may be preserved in children with deprivation amblyopia due to unilateral cataract. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a contrast-rebalanced binocular treatment, recently used with success to treat the interocular suppression and amblyopia in strabismic and anisometropic children, can contribute to rehabilitation of visual acuity in children with deprivation amblyopia secondary to monocular cataract. METHODS In a pilot randomized trial, 15 children (4-13 years of age) were enrolled and randomized to continue with their current treatment only (n = 7) or to continue with their current treatment and add contrast-rebalanced binocular iPad game play 5 hours/week for 4 weeks (n = 8). The primary outcome was change in visual acuity at 4 weeks. RESULTS Although 10 of 15 participants were patching, there was little change in visual acuity during the 3 months prior to enrollment. At the 4-week primary outcome visit, the mean improvement in visual acuity for the binocular game group was significantly greater than that for the current-treatment group (0.08 ± 0.10 logMAR vs -0.03 ± 0.05 logMAR [t10.2 = 2.53, P = 0.03]). None of the children who had dense congenital cataract achieved improved visual acuity with binocular treatment. CONCLUSIONS In this study cohort, visual acuity improved over 8 weeks in children with unilateral deprivation amblyopia who played a binocular contrast-rebalanced binocular iPad game.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen E Birch
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas; Department of Ophthalmology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
| | - Reed M Jost
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas
| | - Serena X Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - Krista R Kelly
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas; Department of Ophthalmology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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43
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Sehgal S, Satgunam P. Quantifying Suppression in Anisometropic Amblyopia With VTS4 (Vision Therapy System 4). Transl Vis Sci Technol 2020; 9:24. [PMID: 33244444 PMCID: PMC7683859 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.9.12.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Visual acuity (VA) of the amblyopic eye is usually considered for monitoring improvement with therapy. However, participation of the amblyopic eye under binocular viewing conditions is also important. This study investigated the use of a clinically available tool VTS4 (Vision Therapy System 4) to quantify the participation or suppression of the amblyopic eye under binocular viewing conditions. Methods A cross-sectional study on patients with anisometropic amblyopia was undertaken. Monocular VA was thresholded. Stereo acuity was measured with Randot stereo test. Simultaneous macular perception (SMP) targets in VTS4 were dichoptically presented. SMP target size was reduced till the amblyopic eye's target disappeared (suppression scotoma size). An average of three measurements was taken for the suppression scotoma size. Results Twenty-eight patients participated (aged 6 to 21 years). The mean interocular VA difference was 0.50 ± 0.27 logMAR. The mean scotoma size was 8.2° ± 5.4°. Mean stereo acuity was 2.06 ± 0.34 log arc seconds from 21 patients on whom stereopsis could be measured. Suppression scotoma size showed a significant (P < 0.001) positive correlation with both interocular VA difference (r = 0.59) and stereoacuity (r = 0.72). Conclusions Participation of the amblyopic eye under binocular viewing condition can be assessed by measuring the suppression scotoma size in VTS4, even when stereoacuity is poor or not measurable. Smaller the suppression scotoma, better is the amblyopic eye's participation. Translational Relevance VTS4 can be used in monitoring amblyopia therapy by quantifying suppression of the amblyopic eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivalika Sehgal
- Brien Holden Institute of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
| | - PremNandhini Satgunam
- Brien Holden Institute of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India
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44
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Abstract
Recent work has transformed our ideas about the neural mechanisms, behavioral consequences and effective therapies for amblyopia. Since the 1700's, the clinical treatment for amblyopia has consisted of patching or penalizing the strong eye, to force the "lazy" amblyopic eye, to work. This treatment has generally been limited to infants and young children during a sensitive period of development. Over the last 20 years we have learned much about the nature and neural mechanisms underlying the loss of spatial and binocular vision in amblyopia, and that a degree of neural plasticity persists well beyond the sensitive period. Importantly, the last decade has seen a resurgence of research into new approaches to the treatment of amblyopia both in children and adults, which emphasize that monocular therapies may not be the most effective for the fundamentally binocular disorder that is amblyopia. These approaches include perceptual learning, video game play and binocular methods aimed at reducing inhibition of the amblyopic eye by the strong fellow eye, and enhancing binocular fusion and stereopsis. This review focuses on the what we've learned over the past 20 years or so, and will highlight both the successes of these new treatment approaches in labs around the world, and their failures in clinical trials. Reconciling these results raises important new questions that may help to focus future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis M Levi
- University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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45
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Repka MX. Amblyopia Outcomes Through Clinical Trials and Practice Measurement: Room for Improvement: The LXXVII Edward Jackson Memorial Lecture. Am J Ophthalmol 2020; 219:A1-A26. [PMID: 32777377 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2020.07.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe amblyopia prevalence and outcomes using results from randomized studies and a clinical registry. DESIGN Review of published studies, analysis of data in Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS) Registry from 2013 to 2019, personal perspective. METHODS Literature review, analysis of IRIS Registry data and IRIS-50, a visual acuity quality measure. RESULTS Clinical trials have reduced the treatment burden of amblyopia by reducing hours of patching and frequency of atropine eye drops with clinical success of about 83%. There is no appreciable age effect if treatment is started before 5 years of age, outcomes are stable to at least 15 years of age, and treatment can be somewhat effective until 12 years of age. The IRIS Registry identified 1,760,066 individuals with amblyopia for a prevalence of 2.47%. Refractive error alone accounted for 68.9% of childhood cases. Mean amblyopic eye visual acuity improved 1.8 lines for children 3-6 years of age and 0.8 lines for 7-12 years, but mean residual amblyopia was more than 2 lines. Among 18,841 children aged 3-7 years eligible for IRIS-50, 77.3% were successful. The odds ratios for success were significantly lower for African-American (0.67; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.58 to 0.78) and Hispanic or Latino (0.84; 95% CI = 0.75 to 0.94) children compared with white children. CONCLUSIONS Clinical trials provided evidence of a beneficial effect from several treatments, with substantially reduced doses than previously recommended. Registry data from clinical practice found residual visual acuity impairment among all ages and races, especially among minorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael X Repka
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
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46
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Jost RM, Kelly KR, Hunter JS, Stager DR, Luu B, Leffler JN, Dao L, Beauchamp CL, Birch EE. A randomized clinical trial of contrast increment protocols for binocular amblyopia treatment. J AAPOS 2020; 24:282.e1-282.e7. [PMID: 33045374 PMCID: PMC8328197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaapos.2020.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most clinical trials of contrast-rebalanced binocular amblyopia treatment used a contrast increment protocol of 10% daily with successful play. Paired with a definition of success requiring only 15-30 min/day of gameplay, this increment protocol could allow children to reach 100% fellow eye contrast in 3-9 hours; however, this may not provide adequate therapeutic time with reduced fellow eye contrast. The purpose of this study was to compare the original protocol against three alternative contrast increment protocols designed to increase the number of treatment hours. METHODS In this prospective study, 63 amblyopic children (4-10 years; amblyopic eye visual acuity, 20/40-125) were randomly assigned one of four daily contrast increment protocols for 4 weeks, all starting with 20% fellow eye contrast: 10%, 5%, 0%, or 10% for first 4 weeks then reset to 20% and repeat 10% increment for the final 4 weeks. Children played contrast-rebalanced games for 1 hour/day, 5 days/week. Best-corrected visual acuity, stereoacuity, and suppression were assessed at baseline and every 2 weeks until the 8-week outcome visit. RESULTS At baseline, mean amblyopic eye best-corrected visual acuity was 0.47 ± 0.14 logMAR (20/60), improving overall 0.14 ± 0.08 logMAR (1.4 lines; P < 0.0001) at 8 weeks. All four protocols resulted in similar improvement in visual acuity (0.13-0.16 logMAR; all Ps < 0.0002). Stereoacuity and suppression also improved (all Ps < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS None of the new protocols resulted in less improvement than the original 10% contrast increment protocol. Contrast-rebalanced binocular games yielded significant improvements in visual acuity, stereoacuity, and suppression with or without daily contrast increments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reed M Jost
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas.
| | | | | | - David R Stager
- Pediatric Ophthalmology & Adult Strabismus, Plano, Texas
| | - Becky Luu
- Pediatric Ophthalmology & Adult Strabismus, Plano, Texas
| | | | - Lori Dao
- ABC Eyes Pediatric Ophthalmology, Dallas, Texas
| | | | - Eileen E Birch
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Jayakumar M, Raju HG, Agarwal A. Effect of monocular fixation in binocular field (MFBF) on amblyopia - a pilot study comparing it with patching. Strabismus 2020; 28:142-150. [PMID: 32877266 DOI: 10.1080/09273972.2020.1789677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
54 children with anisometropic amblyopia of ages 4-15 years were included in the study - 24 children in the patching and 30 children in the MFBF group. The study ran for a period of 6 months with BCVA assessed at each visit of follow up. In the patching group, visual acuity (VA) gain was 0.37 ± 0.26 log Mar over the course of 6 months with continuous improvement in vision across the three time points (0.20 log mar in the first month, 0.11 log Mar from month1 to 3 and 0.06 log Mar from months 3 to 6).In the Amb I Net group, visual acuity gain was 0.54 ± 0.38 log Mar over the same course of time. A continuous improvement in vision was also noted, with gains of 0.16 in the first month, 0.19 from month 1 to 3 and 0.19 from month 3 to 6. The difference in log Mar gains in VA was not statistically significant between the treatment arms and the final VA was similar (0.25 log Mar for patching and 0.18 log Mar for Amb I net). However, clinically the patching group showed 3 log MAR lines, whereas the MFBF group showed 5 log MAR lines of vision improvement at the end of therapy. MFBF was not superior to patching as far as efficacy is concerned in anisometropic amblyopia. However, the combination of more game options to sustain interest, a shorter duration of therapy over the course of a week and software directed compliance monitoring system favors the Amb I Net system from both patient and parental perspective. Amb I Net also negated discomfort, social stigma, and parental monitoring needed with patching regimens. It can be considered as a good alternative to patching in reluctant/non - compliant children with anisometropic amblyopia. This is the first large cohort study based on this therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjula Jayakumar
- Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital Cathedral, Strabismus & Pediatric Ophthalmology , Chennai
| | | | - Amar Agarwal
- Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital Cathedral, Head of the Institution , Chennai
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48
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Park SH. Current Management of Childhood Amblyopia. KOREAN JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY 2020; 33:557-568. [PMID: 31833253 PMCID: PMC6911788 DOI: 10.3341/kjo.2019.0061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Amblyopia is defined as the reduction of best-corrected visual acuity of one or both eyes caused by conditions that affect normal visual development. The basic strategy to treat amblyopia is to obtain a clear retinal image in each eye and correct ocular dominance through forced use of the amblyopic eye. Treatment modalities include correcting any underlying organic disease, prescribing appropriate optical correction, and providing occlusion/penalization therapy for the non-amblyopic eye. Given the success of amblyopia treatment declines with increasing age, the detection and management of amblyopia should begin as early as possible during the sensitive period for visual development. Proper management of amblyopia during childhood can reduce the overall prevalence and severity of visual loss. This study aims to provide an update for the management of childhood amblyopia to provide better visual outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Hae Park
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
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Chang JT, Whitney D, Fitzpatrick D. Experience-Dependent Reorganization Drives Development of a Binocularly Unified Cortical Representation of Orientation. Neuron 2020; 107:338-350.e5. [PMID: 32428433 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Across sensory areas, neural microcircuits consolidate streams of information into unified representations of the external world. In the carnivore visual cortex, where eye-specific inputs first converge, it has been posited that a single, binocularly aligned modular orientation representation develops independent of sensory experience. In this study of ferret visual cortex using in vivo calcium imaging, we find evidence for a different developmental process. Early in development, contralateral, ipsilateral, or binocular stimulation each yield well-organized modular representations of orientation that display features of mature cortex. However, comparison of these representations reveals considerable misalignment that is evident at both modular and cellular scales. Experience-dependent processes drive reorganization of these three representations toward a single binocularly aligned representation resembling the early binocular representation through shifts in cellular orientation preference. Thus, while orderly modular networks of orientation preference initially arise independent of visual experience, experience is critical for the alignment of these early representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy T Chang
- Department of Functional Architecture and Development of Cerebral Cortex, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - David Whitney
- Department of Functional Architecture and Development of Cerebral Cortex, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - David Fitzpatrick
- Department of Functional Architecture and Development of Cerebral Cortex, Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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Active Vision Therapy for Anisometropic Amblyopia in Children: A Systematic Review. J Ophthalmol 2020; 2020:4282316. [PMID: 32733699 PMCID: PMC7376429 DOI: 10.1155/2020/4282316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The aim of the study was evaluation of the scientific evidence about the efficacy of vision therapy in children and teenagers with anisometropic amblyopia by performing a systematic literature review. Methods A search was performed using 3 searching strategies in 4 different databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PruQuest). The quality of the included articles was evaluated using two tools for the risk of bias assessment, ROBINS-I for nonrandomized studies of intervention (NRSI), and ROB 2.0 for randomized clinical trials. Results The search showed 1274 references, but only 8 of them passed the inclusion criteria after the complete text review. The articles that were finally included comprised 2 randomized control trials and 6 nonrandomized studies of intervention. These articles provided evidence supporting the efficacy of vision therapy for the treatment of anisometropic amblyopia in children and teenagers. Assessment of the risk of bias showed an appropriate risk of bias for the randomized control trials, but a high risk of bias for nonrandomized studies of intervention (NRSI). A main source of risk of bias for NRSI was the domain related to the measurements of the outcomes, due to a lack of double-blind studies. Conclusion Vision therapy is a promising option for the treatment of anisometropic amblyopia in children and teenagers. However, the level of scientific evidence provided by the studies revised is still limited, and further randomized clinical trials are necessary to confirm the results provided to date and to optimize the vision therapy techniques by knowing the specific neural mechanisms involved.
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