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Birch EE, Duffy KR. Leveraging neural plasticity for the treatment of amblyopia. Surv Ophthalmol 2024:S0039-6257(24)00046-8. [PMID: 38763223 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2024.04.006] [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: 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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Arnold RW. Dichoptic Rescue for Spectacle-Flip Sabotage of Anisometropic Amblyopia Therapy. CLINICAL OPTOMETRY 2024; 16:83-87. [PMID: 38476961 PMCID: PMC10929207 DOI: 10.2147/opto.s454342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Background To be successful, amblyopia therapeutic techniques must respond when ingenious (shrewd) amblyopic children sabotage treatment effect by discovering ways(1) to alter those therapy aspects they find frustrating. Methods Her guardian consented to IRB-approved study outside typical FDA enrollment guidelines for CureSight dichoptic therapy. Acuity (EVA) and stereopsis was by PEDIG protocols. Results A 6-year-old rural Alaska native girl in foster care had previously been diagnosed with anisometropic amblyopia and treated with spectacles and patching but had poor compliance with BCVA 0.9-1.0 logMAR. She demonstrated exceptional creativity and hyperactivity but had no other medical issues. Atropine was prescribed in addition to her spectacles +5.50+1.00x90 and +0.50+1.00x90, but the patient discovered the rare "Spectacle Flip" method that sabotaged therapeutic impact. She had EVA enrollment acuities of logMAR 0.9 right and -0.1 left with stereo 400 seconds of arc. After just one month dichoptic therapy 1.5 hours 6 days per week, acuity improved to logMAR 0.7 and -0.1 with stereo up to 140 second of arc. Four months later acuity was 0.6 right and -0.2 left. Stereoacuity improved from 400 to 200 arc seconds. Conclusion Even when conventional compliance methods fail, dichoptic therapy with eye-tracking has the novel and unique potential to improve amblyopia treatment compliance with real-time monitored fixation compliance and confirmation of correct spectacle wear. Clinical Trial Registration NCT06165705.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W Arnold
- Alaska Blind Child Discovery, Alaska Children’s EYE & Strabismus, Anchorage, AK, 99508, USA
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Lu Y, Zou L, Wang W, Chen R, Qu J, Zhou J. Effects of Monocular Flicker on Binocular Imbalance in Amblyopic and Nonamblyopic Adults. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024; 65:33. [PMID: 38530301 PMCID: PMC10982911 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.3.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effects of monocular flicker stimulation on binocular imbalance in both amblyopic and nonamblyopic adults. Methods Seven amblyopic patients (28.3 ± 3.3 years; four females) and seven normally sighted participants (27.3 ± 4.1 years; five females) participated in the study. We used liquid crystal spectacles to create externally-generated monocular flicker (4, 7, 10, 15, or 20 Hz) and used the metric of log balance point (logBP) to determine whether imposed flicker could change the eyes' equilibrium interocular contrast ratio. Flicker was applied to either the fellow eye vs. the amblyopic eye or dominant eye (DE) vs. non-DE (non-DE) of amblyopic and nonamblyopic participants, respectively. We defined a logBP of 0 to indicate complete binocular balance and an increase in logBP relative to baseline to indicate a relative strengthening of the non-DE or amblyopic eye. Results Monocular flicker applied to the DE or fellow eye increased logBP, whereas when applied to the non-DE or amblyopic eye, reduced the logBP. These effects were more pronounced at low temporal frequencies than that at high temporal frequencies. The interaction between eye and temporal frequency was significant in both normals, F(4, 24) = 58.082, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.906, and amblyopes, F(1.923, 11.538) = 60.555, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.91. Conclusions Monocular flicker diminishes the contribution of the flickered eye in binocular combination, resulting in a relative dominance of the nonflickered eye in interocular interactions. Furthermore, a more pronounced temporally modulated effect was observed at lower temporal frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqiu Lu
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Wenzhou, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liying Zou
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Wenzhou, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenjing Wang
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Wenzhou, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ruyin Chen
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Wenzhou, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jia Qu
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Wenzhou, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision, and Brain Health), Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiawei Zhou
- School of Ophthalmology & Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Wenzhou, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Disease, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
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Meqdad Y, El-Basty M, Awadein A, Gouda J, Hassanein D. Randomized Controlled Trial of Patching versus Dichoptic Stimulation Using Virtual Reality for Amblyopia Therapy. Curr Eye Res 2024; 49:214-223. [PMID: 37878538 DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2023.2275531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: To compare the outcomes of patching to dichoptic stimulation using virtual reality (VR) in moderate and severe amblyopia.Methods: This study was conducted on 86 subjects with unilateral anisometropic and mixed amblyopia. The subjects were randomized to the VR or patching group. The VR group received treatment using the Vivid Vision software (Vivid Vision Inc., San Francisco, USA) with each subject receiving weekly 2 h-sessions for 10 weeks. The patching group was prescribed patching for 10 weeks. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was measured using a single crowded letter in an ETDRS chart before, after 10 weeks of treatment, and after another 10 weeks of cessation of treatment. Near stereoacuity was measured using the TNO test.Results: Forty-two patients were randomized to the patching group and 44 to the VR group. The median age of the subjects was 12.0 (range 6.0 to 37.0) years. In the VR group, mean amblyopic eye BCVA showed statistically significant improvement by 0.89 line (95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.73 to 1.35 lines; p < 0.001) after 10 weeks of therapy, and after another 10 weeks of follow-up by 1.32 lines from baseline (95% CI, 1.15 to 1.7 lines; p < 0.001). Regarding the patching group, mean BCVA showed statistically significant improvement after 10 weeks by 1.38 lines (95% CI, 0.82 to 1.8 lines; p < 0.001), and after another 10 weeks by 1 line from baseline (95% CI, 0.06-0.147; 0.6 to 1.47 lines; p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between both groups at any time-point (p values >0.05). No serious adverse events were noted. Adults and severe amblyopes in the VR group showed more significant VA improvement than their counterparts in the patching group.Conclusions: Amblyopes treated using VR dichoptic treatment demonstrated statistically significant VA improvement after 10 and 20 weeks of follow-up that is comparable to patching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmine Meqdad
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Ahmed Awadein
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Jylan Gouda
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Dina Hassanein
- Department of Ophthalmology, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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Martino F, Castro-Torres JJ, Casares-López M, Ortiz-Peregrina S, Granados-Delgado P, Anera RG. Effects of alcohol consumption on driving performance in the presence of interocular differences simulated by filters. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17694. [PMID: 37848610 PMCID: PMC10582114 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45057-8] [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: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of interocular differences simulated by filters (fog filter and Bangerter foil) on visual and driving performance in alcohol users was assessed. We found that the binocular visual function deteriorates significantly in terms of contrast sensitivity (from 6 to 18 cpd). Additionally, driving performance is significantly impaired under these conditions as evidenced by increased mean speed, standard deviation of the lateral position, distance traveled outside the lane, reaction time and number of collisions. Furthermore, we found that interocular differences due to intraocular scattering and straylight are directly related to an overall reduction in visual and driving performance. This provided a comprehensive perspective from which to understand the relationship between binocular visual function, interocular differences, and driving performance. In practice, our findings contribute to the understanding of the importance of limiting interocular differences, which can be common among presbyopes corrected using the monovision technique, as well as in cases of cataract or other ocular pathology affecting only one eye, or even in cases of cataract surgery of the first eye. These interocular differences can have an adverse impact on road safety, especially when combined with moderate alcohol consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Martino
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - José J Castro-Torres
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
| | - Miriam Casares-López
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Sonia Ortiz-Peregrina
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Pilar Granados-Delgado
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Rosario G Anera
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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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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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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Martino F, Castro-Torres JJ, Casares-López M, Ortiz-Peregrina S, Granados-Delgado P, Jiménez JR. Influence of Interocular Differences and Alcohol Consumption on Binocular Visual Performance. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1751. [PMID: 36767115 PMCID: PMC9914044 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of a moderate breath-alcohol content (BrAC of 0.40 mg/L) on binocular visual performance for different visual functions after inducing different levels of interocular differences with the use of filters. A total of 26 healthy young subjects were enrolled. The participants participated in two sessions: one without alcohol consumption and another after alcohol consumption. In each session and for the different filter conditions (subjects were wearing Bangerter foil of 0.8 and BPM2 fog filter on the dominant eye), monocular and binocular visual function was evaluated by measuring visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual discrimination capacity (and successively by calculating their corresponding binocular summations) and stereopsis (near and distance stereoacuity). In addition, interocular differences were calculated for different retinal-image quality and straylight parameters. All monocular and binocular visual functions were analyzed and stereopsis was significantly impaired by alcohol and filters (p < 0.05). Interocular differences for different ocular parameters and binocular summations for visual parameters were negatively affected by filters but not alcohol. Significant correlations (averaging all the experimental conditions analyzed) were found, highlighting: the higher the interocular differences, the lower the binocular summation and the poorer the stereopsis and, therefore, the worse the binocular visual performance.
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Shah S, Shah M, Purohit A, Khanguda V. Perceptual learning with hand - eye coordination as an effective tool for managing amblyopia: A prospective study. Indian J Ophthalmol 2022; 70:3630-3633. [PMID: 36190061 PMCID: PMC9789846 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_852_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Amblyopia is a serious condition resulting in monocular impairment of vision. Although traditional treatment improves vision, we attempted to explore the results of perceptual learning in this study. Methods This prospective cohort study included all patients with amblyopia who were subjected to perceptual learning. The presenting data on vision, stereopsis and contrast sensitivity were documented in a pretested online format, and the pre- and post-treatment information was compared using descriptive, cross-tabulation and comparative methods on SPSS 2.2. The mean values were obtained, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The cohort consisted of 47 patients (23 females and 24 males) with a mean age of 14.11 ± 7.13 years. A statistically significant improvement was detected in visual acuity after the perceptual learning session, and the median follow-up period was 17 days. Also, significant improvements were observed in stereopsis but not in the visual outcomes among the age groups. Conclusion Perceptual learning with hand-eye coordination is an effective method for managing amblyopia. This approach can improve vision in all age groups. However, visual improvement is significantly influenced by ocular alignment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mehul Shah
- Drashti Netralaya, Dahod, Gujarat, India,Correspondence to: Dr. Mehul Shah, Drashti Netralaya, Chakalia Road, Dahod, Gujarat, India. E-mail:
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12
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Le T, Örge F. Treatment compliance in amblyopia: A mini-review and description of a novel online platform for compliance tracking. Surv Ophthalmol 2022; 67:1685-1697. [PMID: 35970235 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2022.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Patient compliance with amblyopia therapies, including eye patching and atropine drops, is crucial for optimal visual acuity outcomes. Studies utilizing objective measures of compliance measurement have consistently shown that a majority of patients receive significantly less treatment than prescribed. We review the subjective and objective compliance rates reported in the literature, assess possible explanations for poor compliance and describe studies of interventions to improve compliance. Additionally, we report our experience implementing Inside Out Care, a novel online platform designed to improve monitoring of amblyopia patient compliance, in our clinics. We have found that this platform, which is accessible via both computer and smartphone, has improved monitoring of amblyopia patient patching compliance, as well as allowed for enhanced doctor-patient communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tinh Le
- Center for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and University Hospitals Eye Institute
| | - Faruk Örge
- Center for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and University Hospitals Eye Institute.
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Xiao S, Angjeli E, Gaier ED, Binenbaum G, Hunter DG. Reply. Ophthalmology 2022; 129:e152-e153. [PMID: 35868879 DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2022.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Scott Xiao
- Luminopia, Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
| | | | - Eric D Gaier
- Luminopia, Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Gil Binenbaum
- Division of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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14
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Zhang P, Wang H, Ren W, Guo H, Yang J, Tao J, Yang Z, Li Y, Chen L, Zhang Y, Wu D. The Effect of Bangerter Filters on Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity With External Noise. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:804576. [PMID: 35645725 PMCID: PMC9136063 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.804576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is critical to address the relationship between density label of Bangerter filters and expected visual acuity, and how filters modulate contrast sensitivity (CS) at different spatial frequency and external noise levels. In the current study, the monocular visual acuity and CS at ten spatial frequencies and three noise levels were measured in normal subjects wearing no filters, 0.8, 0.4, or 0.2 Bangerter filters. Compared with the baseline condition (no filter worn), Bangerter filters degraded both visual acuity and contrast sensitivity function (CSF) in zero-noise conditions, but the reduction of both visual functions did not correlate with each other at any filter level. In addition, the stronger the filter was, the worse both visual functions became. In contrast, when external noise was present, filters improved the contrast sensitivity at low frequencies but deteriorated it at intermediate and high spatial frequencies. The perceptual template model was used to reveal the corresponding mechanism accounted for filter-induced visual function changes. Although the internal process in visual system should not be affected by the filters, the measurement of parameters was biased. To be specific, (1) the internal additive noise was elevated at all frequencies; (2) the perceptual template was improved at low spatial frequencies but impaired at intermediate spatial frequencies; and (3) the changes in both factors were highly dependent on filter intensity. We conclude that Bangerter filters influence visual acuity and contrast sensitivity differently and that their effect on contrast sensitivity depends on spatial frequency and noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Hanlin Wang
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Weicong Ren
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Huanhuan Guo
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Jiayi Yang
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Jiayu Tao
- Department of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Zhijie Yang
- Department of Psychology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Beijing Children’s Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children’s Health, Beijing, China
| | - Lijun Chen
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yajing Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi’an, China
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15
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Martino F, Castro‐Torres JJ, Casares‐López M, Ortiz‐Peregrina S, Ortiz C, Jiménez JR. Effect of interocular differences on binocular visual performance after inducing forward scattering. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2022; 42:730-743. [PMID: 35499140 PMCID: PMC9321610 DOI: 10.1111/opo.12992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Purpose To assess binocular visual performance by means of binocular summation on visual function after inducing monocular forward scattering, and to study the influence of interocular differences on ocular parameters. Methods Seven young healthy subjects were recruited. Four Bangerter foils and five fog filters were used to induce monocular forward scattering. To analyse the impact of the scatter, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, visual discrimination capacity and distance stereoacuity were measured binocularly with the filter placed over the dominant eye. Additionally, interocular differences were calculated for four ocular parameters: the Objective Scatter Index (OSI), Strehl ratio (SR), modulation transfer function cut‐off (MTF cut off) and straylight (log[s]). Binocular summation was determined for these visual functions. Results A statistically significant deterioration in visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and stereoacuity was seen for all of the filter conditions with respect to the natural state (baseline), with the largest change being recorded for the Bangerter foils. Similarly, the interocular difference for the three retinal image quality parameters (OSI, SR and MTF cut‐off) and log(s) increased significantly for the Bangerter foil condition, but not for the fog filters (except log(s)). Binocular summation declined gradually with the Bangerter foils, but not for the fog filters. Statistically significant correlations were found, that is, the greater the interocular differences, the lower the binocular summation of the visual functions and the greater the distance stereoacuity. Conclusion Increased forward scattering in the dominant eye resulted in interocular differences, which reduced the overall binocular visual performance, including the binocular summation of several visual functions and distance stereoacuity. The results suggest that marked interocular differences in ocular parameters should be avoided in cases of ocular pathology, amblyopia and emmetropisation procedures (such as refractive surgery) or a monovision correction for presbyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Martino
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics University of Granada Granada Spain
| | - José J. Castro‐Torres
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics University of Granada Granada Spain
| | - Miriam Casares‐López
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics University of Granada Granada Spain
| | - Sonia Ortiz‐Peregrina
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics University of Granada Granada Spain
| | - Carolina Ortiz
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics University of Granada Granada Spain
| | - José R. Jiménez
- Laboratory of Vision Sciences and Applications (LabVisGra), Department of Optics University of Granada Granada Spain
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16
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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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17
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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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18
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White E, Walsh L. The impact of occlusion therapy and predictors on amblyopia dose-response relationship. Strabismus 2022; 30:78-89. [PMID: 35259060 DOI: 10.1080/09273972.2022.2046114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to calculate the dose-response relationship and predictors of visual acuity (VA) improvement following occlusion therapy at the IWK Health Center Eye Clinic and to add to amblyopia therapy dose-response relationship literature. A retrospective chart review was performed, considering patients who reached an occlusion therapy outcome at the IWK Eye Clinic between 2012 and 2019. The treatment outcome was defined as equal VA or stable VA for three consecutive clinical visits despite reported compliance. Subjective patching hours from parental reports, not prescribed hours, were used for statistical analyses. One hundred and thirty-four patients (66 females and 68 males) ages 2-11 years were included. Results showed a dose-response relationship of 224 hours/0.1logMAR increase in VA and total dose of 1344 hours for full-time occlusion and 504 hours for part-time occlusion was required to reach outcome VA. The fastest VA improvement occurred with younger age at treatment initiation, during the first 4 weeks of treatment, and in patients with strabismic and/or severe amblyopia. Classification of amblyopia, age, VA chart, initial distance VA (amblyopic eye), and treatment dose predicted the hour dose-response relationship. Dose-response relationship was faster in younger participants, in participants with strabismic and severe amblyopia, and during the first month of occlusion. Additionally, by creating a GLM model of dose-response relationship, relationship calculations can be performed. Therefore, an estimated timeline can be developed to allow allocation of clinical resources and to prepare patients for the treatment duration required and possibly increase treatment compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily White
- IWK Eye Clinic, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Faculty of Health, Clinical Vision Science Program, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Leah Walsh
- IWK Eye Clinic, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Faculty of Health, Clinical Vision Science Program, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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19
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Huang YT, Lin HJ, Liao WL, Tsai YY, Hsieh YC. Effects of Vision Therapy on Bilateral Amblyopia Unresponsive to Conventional Treatment: A Retrospective Comparative Study. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9020205. [PMID: 35204925 PMCID: PMC8870234 DOI: 10.3390/children9020205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background: In this study we aim to determines the effect of our vision therapy program for 7- to 10-year-old patients who exhibit bilateral amblyopia that is no longer responsive to conventional treatment. Methods: Children with bilateral amblyopia between the ages of 7 and 10 treated with vision therapy at the China Medical University Hospital between 2016 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Age and visual acuity-matched bilateral amblyopes are included as a control group. The visual acuity for both groups showed no improvement for more than 3 months with part-time patching and full refraction correction. The initial and final visual acuity, stereopsis, and refractive status were analyzed. Results: Here, 15 cases were included as the treatment group and 16 cases as a control group. At the endpoint, the study group shows a significant improvement in BCVA, with a mean of 0.32 ± 0.15 logMAR (3 lines improvement) versus 0.003 ± 0.19 logMAR (nearly no improvement) for the control group (p < 0.001). The benefits of treatment are most obvious in the first 3 months after treatment (p < 0.001) and last until the end point. Stereoacuity also improves from 190.00 ± 163.34 to 85.00 ± 61.24 arc seconds, which is a 55.26% improvement. Conclusions: Vision therapy, comprising orthoptic therapy, perceptual learning and dichoptic training, is a successful program for increasing visual acuity and stereoacuity in 7- to 10-year-old children with bilateral amblyopia that is unresponsive to conventional treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Te Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40447, Taiwan; (Y.-T.H.); (H.-J.L.); (Y.-Y.T.)
| | - Hui-Ju Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40447, Taiwan; (Y.-T.H.); (H.-J.L.); (Y.-Y.T.)
| | - Wen-Ling Liao
- Center for Personalized Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40447, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Yu Tsai
- Department of Ophthalmology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40447, Taiwan; (Y.-T.H.); (H.-J.L.); (Y.-Y.T.)
| | - Yi-Ching Hsieh
- Department of Ophthalmology, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40447, Taiwan; (Y.-T.H.); (H.-J.L.); (Y.-Y.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +886-4-22052121 (ext. 1141)
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20
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Hsieh YC, Liao WL, Tsai YY, Lin HJ. Efficacy of vision therapy for unilateral refractive amblyopia in children aged 7-10 years. BMC Ophthalmol 2022; 22:44. [PMID: 35100972 PMCID: PMC8805323 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-022-02246-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is a critical period for visual development, conventionally considered to be the first 6 years of life. Children aged 7 years and older are significantly less responsive to amblyopia treatment. This study investigated the efficacy of binocular vision therapy in amblyopic children aged 7–10 years. Methods This retrospective study enrolled 36 children with unilateral amblyopia who were divided into a case group (receiving vision therapy, optical correction, and part-time patching of the weaker eye) and a control group (receiving optical correction and part-time patching of the weaker eye). Visual acuity (VA) was measured at baseline, at the 3-month, 6-month, and 9-month visits, and 3 months after cessation of treatment. Results There were 19 subjects in the case group and 17 subjects in the control group. Mean VA in the case group improved from 0.39 ± 0.24 logMAR at baseline to 0.10 ± 0.23 logMAR at the endpoint of treatment (p < 0.001, paired t-test). Mean VA in the control group improved from 0.64 ± 0.30 logMAR at baseline to 0.52 ± 0.27 logMAR at the endpoint of treatment (p = 0.015, paired t-test). The improvement was significantly greater in the case group than in the control group (p = 0.006, two-samples independent t-test). All subjects underwent follow-up examinations within 6 to 12 months. There was no regression of VA in the case group 3 months after cessation of vision therapy. The patients in the case group who received visual therapy were with better VA improvement then patients with only optic correction and patching. Conclusions Vision therapy combined with conventional treatment (optical correction and part-time patching) is more effective than conventional treatment alone in children aged 7–10 years with unilateral refractive amblyopia. The treatment results not only in greater vision gain, but also in shorter duration of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ching Hsieh
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Center, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2, Yude Road, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Ling Liao
- Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.,Personal Medical Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Yu Tsai
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Center, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2, Yude Road, Taichung, Taiwan.,Department of Ophthalmology, China Medial University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ju Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Center, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2, Yude Road, Taichung, Taiwan. .,School of Chinese Medicine, China Medial University, Taichung, Taiwan.
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21
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Sen S, Singh P, Saxena R. Management of amblyopia in pediatric patients: Current insights. Eye (Lond) 2022; 36:44-56. [PMID: 34234293 PMCID: PMC8727565 DOI: 10.1038/s41433-021-01669-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amblyopia is a cause of significant ocular morbidity in pediatric population and may lead to visual impairment in future life. It is caused due to formed visual deprivation or abnormal binocular interactions. Several risk factors in pediatric age group may lead to this disease. Author groups have tried managing different types of amblyopia, like anisometropic amblyopia, strabismic amblyopia and combined mechanism amblyopia, with optical correction, occlusion therapy, penalization, binocular therapy and surgery. We review historical and current management strategies of different types of amblyopia affecting children and outcomes in terms of visual acuity, binocularity and ocular deviation, highlighting evidence from recent studies. Literature searches were performed through Pubmed. Risk factors for amblyopia need to be identified in pediatric population as early in life as possible and managed accordingly, as visual outcomes in amblyopia are best if treated at the earliest. Although, monocular therapies like occlusion or penalization have been shown to be quite beneficial over the years, newer concepts related to binocular vision therapy are still evolving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagnik Sen
- Department of Neuroophthalmology and Strabismus, Dr R.P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Neuroophthalmology and Strabismus, Dr R.P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Rohit Saxena
- Department of Neuroophthalmology and Strabismus, Dr R.P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
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22
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Birch EE, Kelly KR, Wang J. Recent Advances in Screening and Treatment for Amblyopia. Ophthalmol Ther 2021; 10:815-830. [PMID: 34499336 PMCID: PMC8589941 DOI: 10.1007/s40123-021-00394-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Amblyopia is the most common cause of monocular visual impairment in children, with a prevalence of 2-3%. Not only is visual acuity reduced in one eye but binocular vision is affected, fellow eye deficits may be present, eye-hand coordination and reading can be affected, and self-perception may be diminished. New technologies for preschool vision screening hold promise for accessible, early, and accurate detection of amblyopia. Together with recent advances in our theoretical understanding of amblyopia and technological advances in amblyopia treatment, we anticipate improved visual outcomes for children affected by this very common eye condition. This article is based on previously conducted studies and does not contain any new studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eileen E Birch
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, 9600 N. Central Expressway, Suite 200, Dallas, TX, 75231, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
| | - Krista R Kelly
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, 9600 N. Central Expressway, Suite 200, Dallas, TX, 75231, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jingyun Wang
- SUNY College of Optometry, State University of New York, New York, NY, USA
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23
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Lee HJ, Kim SJ. Outcomes of using Bangerter foils for the treatment of residual amblyopia following patching therapy. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2021; 259:3167-3174. [PMID: 33977316 DOI: 10.1007/s00417-021-05231-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the effectiveness of additional treatment using Bangerter foil (BF) for children with residual amblyopia. METHODS Patients with residual amblyopia who were treated with BF between 2015 and 2020 were reviewed. Residual amblyopia was defined as no further improvement in vision following patching therapy for at least 6 months. BF that corresponds to the VA of the amblyopic eye was applied to the spectacle lens of the fellow eye. Patients were divided into two groups: group A, which included patients treated with BF alone, and group B, which included patients treated with BF and a head-mounted display. After at least 2 months of treatment, baseline and final VA and stereoacuity were compared. RESULTS Seventy-four patients with a mean age of 8.0 ± 1.6 years at the time of BF treatment were included. The mean duration of the BF treatment was 10.4 ± 5.6 months. After a mean follow-up period of 24.9 ± 11.9 months after BF treatment, the median (IQR) VA of the amblyopic eye changed from 0.20 (0.15-0.40) LogMAR to 0.10 (0.04-0.20) LogMAR (P = 0.001). The median (IQR) stereoacuity changed from 3.19 (2.53-3.75) log arcsec to 2.60 (2.15-3.48) log arcsec (P = 0.001). The number of patients improved vision by 0.2 LogMAR or more lines was 18 patients (30%) for group A and 3 patients (23%) for group B. The VA of the amblyopic eye before BF treatment was significantly associated with vision improvement. CONCLUSION BF can be considered an alternative treatment plan to provide further benefit for children with residual amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haeng-Jin Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.,Department of Ophthalmology, Jeonbuk National University College of Medicine, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.,Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Joon Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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24
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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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25
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Castro-Torres JJ, Martino F, Casares-López M, Ortiz-Peregrina S, Ortiz C. Visual performance after the deterioration of retinal image quality: induced forward scattering using Bangerter foils and fog filters. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2021; 12:2902-2918. [PMID: 34123509 PMCID: PMC8176796 DOI: 10.1364/boe.424715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
We induced and evaluated different levels of retinal-image degradation using Bangerter foils and fog filters. We found increased straylight and an important deterioration in visual performance, assessed by means of visual acuity, contrast threshold, and visual discrimination capacity. Bangerter foils induced forward scattering levels comparable to those observed in mature to severe cataracts, with an important impact of halos and starbursts. Fog filters induced lower levels of intraocular scattering, although luminous veils and circular halos were reported. The visual disturbance index positively correlated with intraocular scattering and straylight. Our results show retinal-image quality has an important influence on night-vision performance.
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26
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Williamson I, Keating P, Bjerre A. The effect of induced monocular blur by bangerter filters on measures of visual acuity and stereoacuity. Strabismus 2021; 29:74-80. [PMID: 33890535 DOI: 10.1080/09273972.2021.1914677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of monocular blur induced by Bangerter filters (BF) on visual acuity (VA) and stereoacuity. Monocular blur was induced by a range of Trusetal BF strengths (0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6) to 23 visually normal adult volunteers (aged 18-25, mean age 20.33 ± 1.79 years). The right monocular and binocular logMAR VA and distance stereoacuity using the FD2 were measured at 6 m with no filter (baseline) and with each filter strength. The order of testing the filters was randomized. Results were analyzed using one factor repeated measures ANOVAs, t-tests using Bonferroni correction and Pearson's product moment correlation. All filters degraded right monocular distance VA from baseline, but less significantly between the 0.4 and 0.6 filters than the other filters (p < .05 and p < .001, respectively). Degradation was in concordance with the labeled filter density, excluding filter strength 0.4. For all filter strengths, binocular VA was significantly but not clinically reduced from baseline (p < .05). Filters statistically and clinically significantly degraded distance stereoacuity from baseline (p < .001). A significant negative correlation existed between the mean degraded right monocular VA and stereoacuity (r = -0.998, p < .02). Trusetal BF significantly reduced monocular VA and stereoacuity but binocular VA remained within normal levels. The impact on VA and stereoacuity in a normal population can be of clinical relevance when applied to the use of BF for management of amblyopia and intractable diplopia. It is advised that clinicians ensure the desired level of degradation has been achieved in clinic before prescribing a particular filter strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Williamson
- Division of Ophthalmology and Orthoptics, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield
| | - Patrick Keating
- Division of Ophthalmology and Orthoptics, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield
| | - Anne Bjerre
- Division of Ophthalmology and Orthoptics, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield
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Kumaran SE, Khadka J, Baker R, Pesudovs K. Patient‐reported outcome measures in amblyopia and strabismus: a systematic review. Clin Exp Optom 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sheela E Kumaran
- Discipline of Optometry and Vision Science, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia,
| | - Jyoti Khadka
- Discipline of Optometry and Vision Science, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia,
| | - Rod Baker
- Discipline of Optometry and Vision Science, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia,
| | - Konrad Pesudovs
- Discipline of Optometry and Vision Science, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia,
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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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Brin TA, Chow A, Carter C, Oremus M, Bobier W, Thompson B. Efficacy of vision-based treatments for children and teens with amblyopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ Open Ophthalmol 2021; 6:e000657. [PMID: 33912684 PMCID: PMC8043000 DOI: 10.1136/bmjophth-2020-000657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To identify differences in efficacy between vision-based treatments for improving visual acuity (VA) of the amblyopic eye in persons aged 4-17 years old. Data sources Ovid Embase, PubMed (Medline), the Cochrane Library, Vision Cite and Scopus were systematically searched from 1975 to 17 June 2020. Methods Two independent reviewers screened search results for randomised controlled trials of vision-based amblyopia treatments that specified change in amblyopic eye VA (logMAR) as the primary outcome measure. Quality was assessed via risk of bias and GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations). Results Of the 3346 studies identified, 36 were included in a narrative synthesis. A random effects meta-analysis (five studies) compared the efficacy of binocular treatments versus patching: mean difference -0.03 logMAR; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.04 (p<0.001), favouring patching. An exploratory study-level regression (18 studies) showed no statistically significant differences between vision-based treatments and a reference group of 2-5 hours of patching. Age, sample size and pre-randomisation optical treatment were not statistically significantly associated with changes in amblyopic eye acuity. A network meta-analysis (26 studies) comparing vision-based treatments to patching 2-5 hours found one statistically significant comparison, namely, the favouring of a combination of two treatment arms comparing combination and binocular treatments, against patching 2-5 hours: standard mean difference: 2.63; 95% CI 1.18 to 4.09. However, this result was an indirect comparison calculated from a single study. A linear regression analysis (17 studies) found a significant relationship between adherence and effect size, but the model did not completely fit the data: regression coefficient 0.022; 95% CI 0.004 to 0.040 (p=0.02). Conclusion We found no clinically relevant differences in treatment efficacy between the treatments included in this review. Adherence to the prescribed hours of treatment varied considerably and may have had an effect on treatment success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Adrian Brin
- Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amy Chow
- Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Caitlin Carter
- Library, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Oremus
- Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - William Bobier
- Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin Thompson
- Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.,Center for Eye and Vision Research, 17W Science Park, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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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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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] [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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Scaramuzzi M, Murray J, Otero-Millan J, Nucci P, Shaikh AG, Ghasia FF. Part time patching treatment outcomes in children with amblyopia with and without fusion maldevelopment nystagmus: An eye movement study. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237346. [PMID: 32790721 PMCID: PMC7425965 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We investigated how the abnormalities of fixation eye movements (FEMs) of the amblyopic eye were linked with treatment outcomes following part-time patching therapy in children with amblyopia. METHODS We recruited 53 patients, with at least 12 months of patching, and measured FEMs at the end of treatment. Subjects were classified based on FEM waveforms (those without nystagmus = 21, those with nystagmus without fusion maldevelopment nystagmus (FMN) = 21, and those with FMN = 11) and based on clinical type of amblyopia (anisometropic = 18, strabismic = 6, and mixed = 29). The treatment outcomes such as duration of treatment of receiving part-time patching therapy, visual acuity and stereo-acuity deficits at the end of treatment were determined. Bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA), fast (fixational saccade/quick phases), and slow (inter-saccadic drifts/slow phases) FEMs of the fellow and amblyopic eye were analyzed. RESULTS Anisometropic group had less residual amblyopia (0.23±0.19logMAR acuity) compared to strabismic/mixed (0.36±0.26) groups (p = 0.007). Treatment duration in patients without nystagmus was lower (12.6±9.5months) compared to nystagmus without FMN (25.6±23.2) and FMN (29.5±20.4) groups (p = 0.006). Patients without nystagmus had better stereopsis at the end of treatment (2.3±0.84logarcsecs) compared to nystagmus without FMN (2.6±0.84) group (p = 0.003). The majority of patients with FMN (8/11) had absent stereopsis. BCEA of the amblyopic eye was higher in patients with greater residual visual acuity deficits in patients without nystagmus. No such association was seen in Nystagmus no FMN and FMN groups. Increased amplitude of fast FEMs, increased eye position variance and eye velocity of slow FEMs were seen in patients who had received longer duration of part time patching therapy and in those with greater residual amblyopia, and poor stereopsis at the end of treatment. CONCLUSIONS Assessment of FEM waveforms and fast and slow FEM characteristics are important measures while describing fixation instability in amblyopia. Several FEM abnormalities were associated with stereo-acuity and visual acuity deficits and treatment duration in patients with amblyopia treated with part time patching therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Scaramuzzi
- Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Unit of Ophthalmology, Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
- DISCCO, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Jordan Murray
- Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
| | - Jorge Otero-Millan
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | | | - Aasef G. Shaikh
- Daroff—Dell’Osso Ocular Motility Laboratory, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
- Case Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
| | - Fatema F. Ghasia
- Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
- Daroff—Dell’Osso Ocular Motility Laboratory, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
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Baseline and Clinical Factors Associated with Response to Amblyopia Treatment in a Randomized Clinical Trial. Optom Vis Sci 2020; 97:316-323. [PMID: 32413002 DOI: 10.1097/opx.0000000000001514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE We sought to identify baseline and clinical factors that were predictive of the response to amblyopia treatment. We report that binocular amblyopia treatment may be especially effective for moderate amblyopia in orthotropic children. PURPOSE We previously reported results from the primary cohort (n = 28) enrolled in a randomized clinical trial (NCT02365090), which found that binocular amblyopia treatment was more effective than patching. Enrollment of an additional 20 children was pre-planned to provide the opportunity to examine factors that may be predictive of response to amblyopia treatment. METHODS Forty-eight children (4 to 10 years old) were enrolled, with 24 randomized to contrast-rebalanced binocular game treatment (1 hour a day, 5 days a week) and 24 to patching treatment (2 hours a day, 7 days a week). The primary outcome was change in amblyopic eye best-corrected visual acuity at the 2-week visit. Baseline factors examined were age at enrollment, visual acuity, stereoacuity, and suppression. Clinical factors were etiology, age at diagnosis, prior treatment, and ocular alignment. RESULTS At 2 weeks, visual acuity improvement was significantly greater with the binocular game than patching. Children with moderate amblyopia and orthotropia had more visual acuity improvement with binocular game play than did those with severe amblyopia. In addition, children who spent more time playing the binocular game had more improvement. We were not able to confidently identify any baseline or clinical factors that were associated with response to patching treatment. CONCLUSIONS Binocular amblyopia treatment was more effective among orthotropic children with moderate amblyopia than among children with microtropia or severe amblyopia.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Stimulus deprivation amblyopia (SDA) develops due to an obstruction to the passage of light secondary to a condition such as cataract. The obstruction prevents formation of a clear image on the retina. SDA can be resistant to treatment, leading to poor visual prognosis. SDA probably constitutes less than 3% of all amblyopia cases, although precise estimates of prevalence are unknown. In high-income countries, most people present under the age of one year; in low- to middle-income countries, people are likely to be older at the time of presentation. The mainstay of treatment is correction of the obstruction (e.g., removal of the cataract) and then occlusion of the better-seeing eye, but regimens vary, can be difficult to execute, and traditionally are believed to lead to disappointing results. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of occlusion therapy for SDA in an attempt to establish realistic treatment outcomes and to examine evidence of any dose-response effect and assess the effect of the duration, severity, and causative factor on the size and direction of the treatment effect. SEARCH METHODS We searched CENTRAL (2018, Issue 12), which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Trials Register; Ovid MEDLINE; Embase.com; and five other databases. We used no date or language restrictions in the electronic searches. We last searched the databases on 12 December 2018. SELECTION CRITERIA We planned to include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials of participants with unilateral SDA with visual acuity worse than 0.2 LogMAR or equivalent. We specified no restrictions for inclusion based upon age, gender, ethnicity, comorbidities, medication use, or the number of participants. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS We used standard Cochrane methodology. MAIN RESULTS We identified no trials that met the inclusion criteria specified in the protocol for this review. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence from RCTs or quasi-randomized trials on the effectiveness of any treatment for SDA. RCTs are needed in order to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of occlusion, duration of treatment, level of vision that can be realistically achieved, effects of age at onset and magnitude of visual defect, optimum occlusion regimen, and factors associated with satisfactory and unsatisfactory outcomes with the use of various interventions for SDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aileen Antonio‐Santos
- Hauenstein Neurosciences, Mercy Health Saint Mary's245 Cherry Street SESuite 204Grand RapidsMichiganUSA49503
| | - S Swaroop Vedula
- Johns Hopkins University3400 N. Charles StreetBaltimoreMarylandUSA21218
| | - Sarah R Hatt
- Mayo ClinicDepartment of OphthalmologyGuggenheim 9200 1st St. SWRochesterMinnesotaUSA55905
| | - Christine Powell
- Royal Victoria InfirmaryDepartment of OphthalmologyClaremont WingQueen Victoria RoadNewcastle upon TyneUKNE1 4LP
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Chen Y, He Z, Mao Y, Chen H, Zhou J, Hess RF. Patching and Suppression in Amblyopia: One Mechanism or Two? Front Neurosci 2020; 13:1364. [PMID: 32009874 PMCID: PMC6974542 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose To determine if benefits from occlusion therapy are due to decreased suppression from the fellow eye in children with amblyopia. Methods Ten newly diagnosed amblyopes (7.2 ± 1.4 years old), two with strabismus and eight with anisometropia, participated. Patients were first given a 2-month period of refractive adaptation, followed by occlusion therapy (i.e., patching their fellow eye with an opaque patch for 4 h/day). Visual acuity of the amblyopic eye and interocular suppression were measured before and after 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 6 months of occlusion therapy. We quantified interocular suppression with a binocular phase combination task. Results Visual acuity (in logMAR) improved from 0.50 ± 0.22 (mean ± SD) to 0.33 ± 0.20 for patients who finished a short-term (2 months) occlusion (A1–A10), from 0.53 ± 0.20 to 0.32 ± 0.22 for patients who finished a medium-term (4 months) occlusion (A1–A9), and from 0.48 ± 0.19 to 0.22 ± 0.10 for patients who finished a long-term (6 months) occlusion (A1–A8). Although their visual acuity significantly improved, their degree of suppression, which was abnormal in all cases, did not change consistently. This was true in all durations of occlusion therapy. Conclusion Reduced suppression from the fixing eye might not be result from occlusion therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiya Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhifen He
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yu Mao
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Vision Science, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Hao Chen
- 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
| | - Robert F Hess
- McGill Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Gopal SKS, Kelkar J, Kelkar A, Pandit A. Simplified updates on the pathophysiology and recent developments in the treatment of amblyopia: A review. Indian J Ophthalmol 2020; 67:1392-1399. [PMID: 31436180 PMCID: PMC6727694 DOI: 10.4103/ijo.ijo_11_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Amblyopia is the most common cause of monocular visual impairment affecting 2-5% of the general population. Amblyopia is a developmental cortical disorder of the visual pathway essentially due to abnormal visual stimulus, reaching the binocular cortical cells, which may be multivariate. Ganglion cells are of two types: parvocellular (P cells) and magnocellular (M cells); they are the first step where the light energy is converted in to neural impulse. P cells are involved in fine visual acuity, fine stereopsis, and color vision and M cells are involved in gross stereopsis and movement recognition. Strabismus, refractive error, cataract, and ptosis, occurring during critical period are highly amblyogenic. The critical period extends from birth to 7--8 years. The earlier the clinically significant refractive error and strabismus are detected and treated, the greater the likelihood of preventing amblyopia. Treatment for amblyopia in children includes: optical correction of significant refractive errors, patching, pharmacological treatment, and alternative therapies which include: vision therapy, binocular therapy, and liquid crystal display eyeglasses are newer treatment modalities for amblyopia. Age of starting the treatment is not predictive of outcome, instituting treatment on detection and early detection plays a role in achieving better outcomes. This review aims to give a simplified update on amblyopia, which will be of use to a clinician, in understanding the pathophysiology of the complex condition. We also share the cortical aspects of amblyopia and give recent developments in the treatment of amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santhan K S Gopal
- Kamala Nethralaya Eye Clinic and Surgical Centre, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Jai Kelkar
- National Institute of Ophthalmology, Maharashtra, India
| | - Aditya Kelkar
- National Institute of Ophthalmology, Maharashtra, India
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The Effect of Combined Patching and Citalopram on Visual Acuity in Adults with Amblyopia: A Randomized, Crossover, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:5857243. [PMID: 31281343 PMCID: PMC6590556 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5857243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonhuman animal models have demonstrated that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) can enhance plasticity within the mature visual cortex and enable recovery from amblyopia. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the SSRI citalopram combined with part-time patching of the fellow fixing eye would improve amblyopic eye visual acuity in adult humans. Following a crossover, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, participants completed two 2-week blocks of fellow fixing eye patching. One block combined patching with citalopram (20 mg/day) and the other with a placebo tablet. The blocks were separated by a 2-week washout period. The primary outcome was change in amblyopic eye visual acuity. Secondary outcomes included stereoacuity and electrophysiological measures of retinal and cortical function. Seven participants were randomized, fewer than our prespecified sample size of 20. There were no statistically significant differences in amblyopic eye visual acuity change between the active (mean ± SD change = 0.08 ± 0.16 logMAR) and the placebo (mean change = −0.01 ± 0.03 logMAR) blocks. No treatment effects were observed for any secondary outcomes. However, 3 of 7 participants experienced a 0.1 logMAR or greater improvement in amblyopic eye visual acuity in the active but not the placebo blocks. These results from a small sample suggest that larger-scale trials of SSRI treatment for adult amblyopia may be warranted. Considerations for future trials include drug dose, treatment duration, and recruitment challenges. This study was preregistered as a clinical trial (ACTRN12611000669998).
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Carlton J. Comparison of the CAT-QoL and PedsQL TM instruments in measuring quality of life in amblyopia treatment: preliminary results. Strabismus 2019; 27:165-171. [PMID: 31120350 DOI: 10.1080/09273972.2019.1618351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Background/Aims: The Child Amblyopia Treatment Questionnaire (CAT-QoL) is a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM), designed to assess the impact of amblyopia treatment. The aim of this study was to compare the psychometric properties of two PROMs; the CAT-QoL instrument and Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQLTM), a generic pediatric PROM. This work was part of a wider project to develop a condition-specific PROM for children with amblyopia. Methods: Three hundred and forty-two participants were recruited in a UK multi-center study. Quality of life data was collected using the CAT-QoL and the PedsQLTM instruments. The psychometric performance of the CAT-QoL and PedsQLTM were examined in terms of acceptability, reliability, and validity. Results: Both instruments demonstrated good reliability (CAT-QoL Cronbach's α = 0.793; PedsQLTM α = 0.872). The convergent validity of the CAT-QoL and PedsQLTM instruments was tested by comparing the instruments to each other. There was a moderate correlation between the PedsQLTM and the CAT-QoL scores, and this relationship was statistically significant (rs = -0.517, p < .000). No statistical significance was found between the level of amblyopia severity and the mean PedsQLTM score (p = .420). Conclusion: It was possible to assess the impact of amblyopia treatment using the CAT-QoL and PedsQLTM instruments. The preliminary findings from this are not conclusive, and it is not possible to advocate the use of one questionnaire over another based upon psychometric performance demonstrated here. This may be due to the sample population, as there were limited numbers of participants with severe amblyopia. Both the CAT-QoL and PedsQLTM instruments were noted to have some issues with ceiling effects at an individual item level. The CAT-QoL and PedsQLTM were reliable (as determined by Cronbach's alpha). The PedsQLTM instrument was not able to discriminate between amblyopia severity groups (discriminant validity). Further research is required to formally assess the psychometric properties of the CAT-QoL questionnaire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Carlton
- Health Economics and Decision Science (HEDS), School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), University of Sheffield, Regent Court , Sheffield , UK
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Abstract
Aims or Purpose: The Child Amblyopia Treatment Questionnaire (CAT-QoL) was developed using a "bottom-up" methodological approach. Interviews with children with amblyopia identified items (questions) and response levels to be tested in a draft questionnaire consisting of 11 items (sad, feeling on face, hurt, doing schoolwork, cross, how other children treat you, doing things, worried, upset with family, playing with friends, happy). This study describes the refinement of the descriptive system for the CAT-QoL instrument using the application of Rasch analysis. Methods: A multi-centre pilot study was conducted, and data collected from 342 participants. Participants were asked to self-complete the appropriate treatment version of the CAT-QoL questionnaire socio-demographic and clinical data were collected by the clinician using a standardised proforma. A "measure" of child's health was obtained from the parent by asking how they would rate their child's health over the previous week. Rasch analysis techniques were applied to refine the questionnaire. Rasch was used to examine response categories and collapse item response levels, identify poorly performing items, and explore local dependency of items. Results: A total of 331 subjects were included in the study sample, however only 315 were accepted into the RUMM program as a number of subjects had missing questions responses on the CAT-QoL. RUMM also excluded a further 41 subjects as these demonstrated extreme responses. Disordered response categories were found for each item, requiring adjacent response levels to be combined. This was applied to all items, and the model fit was re-examined. Two items were found to have poor fit (cross and happy) and were removed from the measure and the model fit was re-examined. No statistically significant differential item functioning (DIF) was found for any item, using person factors of age, sex or general health. Two items showed some dependency (worried and upset with family), and the poorer fitting item was subsequently removed (upset with family). This resulted in a refined CAT-QoL instrument that consists of 8-items, each with three-level response scales. Conclusion: The refined CAT-QoL instrument includes the following items: sad, feeling on face, hurt, doing work at school, how other children treat you, doing things, worried and playing with friends. The CAT-QoL can be Rasch scored, with a range of 0-16 where a greater value indicates a worse quality of life (or greater impact of treatment on the individual). The CAT-QoL may be useful in determining how amblyopia treatment affects children, and offers an alternative to generic patient reported outcome measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill Carlton
- a School of Health and Related Research, HEDS, ScHARR, University of Sheffield , Sheffield
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Zhou J, He Z, Wu Y, Chen Y, Chen X, Liang Y, Mao Y, Yao Z, Lu F, Qu J, Hess RF. Inverse Occlusion: A Binocularly Motivated Treatment for Amblyopia. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:5157628. [PMID: 31015829 PMCID: PMC6444262 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5157628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent laboratory findings suggest that short-term patching of the amblyopic eye (i.e., inverse occlusion) results in a larger and more sustained improvement in the binocular balance compared with normal controls. In this study, we investigate the cumulative effects of the short-term inverse occlusion in adults and old children with amblyopia. This is a prospective cohort study of 18 amblyopes (10-35 years old; 2 with strabismus) who have been subjected to 2 hours/day of inverse occlusion for 2 months. Patients who required refractive correction or whose refractive correction needed updating were given a 2-month period of refractive adaptation. The primary outcome measure was the binocular balance which was measured using a phase combination task; the secondary outcome measures were the best-corrected visual acuity which was measured with a Tumbling E acuity chart and converted to logMAR units and the stereoacuity which was measured with the Random-dot preschool stereogram test. The average binocular gain was 0.11 in terms of the effective contrast ratio (z = -2.344, p = 0.019, 2-tailed related samples Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test). The average acuity gain was 0.13 logMAR equivalent (t(17) = 4.76, p < 0.001, 2-tailed paired samples t-test). The average stereoacuity gain was 339 arc seconds (z = -2.533, p = 0.011). Based on more recent research concerning adult ocular dominance plasticity, we conclude that inverse occlusion in adults and old children with amblyopia does produce long-term gains to binocular balance and that acuity and stereopsis can improve in some subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Zhou
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Zhifen He
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Yidong Wu
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Yiya Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Xiaoxin Chen
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Yunjie Liang
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Yu Mao
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Zhimo Yao
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Fan Lu
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Jia Qu
- School of Ophthalmology and Optometry and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325003, China
| | - Robert F. Hess
- McGill University, McGill Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Quebec, Montreal, Canada H3G 1A4
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Lu L, Li Q, Zhang L, Tang S, Yang X, Liu L, Sweeney JA, Gong Q, Huang X. Altered cortical morphology of visual cortex in adults with monocular amblyopia. J Magn Reson Imaging 2019; 50:1405-1412. [PMID: 30854758 DOI: 10.1002/jmri.26708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neural mechanism of amblyopia and its impact on the adult brain remain unclear. This hinders effective treatment for adults with this disease. PURPOSE To investigate neuroanatomical differences in cortical morphometry between amblyopic adults and healthy controls, and to explore the structural covariance of abnormal morphometric changes. STUDY TYPE Prospective. POPULATION Twenty-one amblyopic adults and 34 healthy controls. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 3T MRI, T1 -weighted, MPRAGE sequence. ASSESSMENT All participants completed ophthalmologic exams to confirm the diagnosis of amblyopia or its absence in the healthy controls, including tests of ocular motility and dilation, fundus exam, autorefraction and synoptophore tests. Cortical volume, thickness, and surface area measurements were obtained using FreeSurfer software. STATISTICAL TESTS Statistical differences of MRI measures between amblyopic adults and healthy controls were identified using a general linear model with intracranial volume and age as covariates. Monte Carlo simulations were used to correct for multiple comparisons. The structural covariance of abnormal morphometric changes and the relationship between morphometric abnormalities and visual acuity of the amblyopic eye were examined. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, amblyopic adults showed reduced cortical volume in left lateral occipital cortex, and decreased cortical thickness in bilateral inferior temporal gyrus and left precentral gyrus (P < 0.05; Monte Carlo corrected). Structural covariance between cortical volume of left lateral occipital cortex and cortical thickness of right inferior temporal gyrus in amblyopic adults was significantly less than in healthy controls (z = 1.73; P < 0.05). DATA CONCLUSION Our study identified morphological abnormalities in occipital cortex and in temporal and frontal cortex which are projection fields of visual cortex important for processing of visual form and object location information, and disrupted structural covariance of visual cortex with other brain regions in amblyopic patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1405-1412.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Lu
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lianqing Zhang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shi Tang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xubo Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Longqian Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - John A Sweeney
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaoqi Huang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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The treatment of amblyopia: current practice and emerging trends. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2019; 257:1061-1078. [DOI: 10.1007/s00417-019-04254-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
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Lee HJ, Kim SJ. Effectiveness of binocularity-stimulating treatment in children with residual amblyopia following occlusion. BMC Ophthalmol 2018; 18:253. [PMID: 30236086 PMCID: PMC6149203 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-018-0922-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To evaluate the effectiveness of binocularity-stimulating treatment in children with residual amblyopia following occlusion therapy for more than 6 months. METHODS Of patients with amblyopia caused by anisometropia and/or strabismus, patients with residual amblyopia following more than 6 months of occlusion therapy were included. Subjects underwent one of the following types of binocularity-stimulating therapy: Bangerter foil (BF), head-mounted display (HMD) game, or BF/HMD combination (BF + HMD). Factors including age, sex, types of amblyopia, visual acuity, and duration of treatment were investigated. Baseline and final (after at least 2 months of treatment) visual acuity were also compared. RESULTS Twenty-two patients with a mean age of 8.7 ± 1.3 years were included. Seven patients had anisometropic amblyopia, 8 patients had strabismic amblyopia, and 7 patients had combined amblyopia. After 4.4 ± 1.8 months of treatment, logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity in the amblyopic eye improved from 0.22 ± 0.20 to 0.18 ± 0.15. Five of 22 patients (22.7%) gained more than 0.2 logMAR, including 1 of 10 patients (10.0%) in the BF group, 2 of 7 patients (28.6%) in the HMD group, and 2 of 5 patients (40.0%) in the BF + HMD group. No significant differences in clinical characteristics were identified among the three groups. CONCLUSIONS Binocularity-stimulating therapy is somewhat beneficial in children with residual amblyopia and might be attempted when children no longer benefit from sufficient long-term period of occlusion therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haeng-Jin Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehak-Ro, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, 110-744 Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Joon Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Seoul Artificial Eye Center, Seoul National University Hospital Clinical Research Institute, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehak-Ro, Jongno-Gu, Seoul, 110-744 Republic of Korea
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Kelly KR, Jost RM, Wang YZ, Dao L, Beauchamp CL, Leffler JN, Birch EE. Improved Binocular Outcomes Following Binocular Treatment for Childhood Amblyopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2018; 59:1221-1228. [PMID: 29625442 PMCID: PMC5839256 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.17-23235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Childhood amblyopia can be treated with binocular games or movies that rebalance contrast between the eyes, which is thought to reduce depth of interocular suppression so the child can experience binocular vision. While visual acuity gains have been reported following binocular treatment, studies rarely report gains in binocular outcomes (i.e., stereoacuity, suppression) in amblyopic children. Here, we evaluated binocular outcomes in children who had received binocular treatment for childhood amblyopia. Methods Data for amblyopic children enrolled in two ongoing studies were pooled. The sample included 41 amblyopic children (6 strabismic, 21 anisometropic, 14 combined; age 4–10 years; ≤4 prism diopters [PD]) who received binocular treatment (20 game, 21 movies; prescribed 9–10 hours treatment). Amblyopic eye visual acuity and binocular outcomes (Randot Preschool Stereoacuity, extent of suppression, and depth of suppression) were assessed at baseline and at 2 weeks. Results Mean amblyopic eye visual acuity (P < 0.001) and mean stereoacuity improved (P = 0.045), and mean extent (P = 0.005) and depth of suppression (P = 0.003) were reduced from baseline at the 2-week visit (87% game adherence, 100% movie adherence). Depth of suppression was reduced more in children aged <8 years than in those aged ≥8 years (P = 0.004). Worse baseline depth of suppression was correlated with a larger depth of suppression reduction at 2 weeks (P = 0.001). Conclusions After 2 weeks, binocular treatment in amblyopic children improved visual acuity and binocular outcomes, reducing the extent and depth of suppression and improving stereoacuity. Binocular treatments that rebalance contrast to overcome suppression are a promising additional option for treating amblyopia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista R Kelly
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas, United States
| | - Reed M Jost
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas, United States
| | - Yi-Zhong Wang
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas, United States.,Department of Ophthalmology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States
| | - Lori Dao
- ABC Eyes Pediatric Ophthalmology, PA, Dallas, Texas, United States
| | | | - Joel N Leffler
- Children's Eye Care of North Texas, PA, Plano, Texas, United States
| | - Eileen E Birch
- Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Dallas, Texas, United States.,Department of Ophthalmology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States
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Abstract
Although historically, treatment of amblyopia has been recommended prior to closure of a critical window in visual development, the existence and duration of that critical window is currently unclear. Moreover, there is clear evidence, both from animal and human studies of deprivation amblyopia, that there are different critical windows for different visual functions and that monocular and binocular deprivation have different neural and behavioral consequences. In view of the spectrum of critical windows for different visual functions and for different types of amblyopia, combined with individual variability in these windows, treatment of amblyopia has been increasingly offered to older children and adults. Nevertheless, treatment beyond the age of 7 years tends to be, on average, less effective than in younger children, and the high degree of variability in treatment response suggests that age is only one of many factors determining treatment response. Newly emerging treatment modalities may hold promise for more effective treatment of amblyopia at older ages. Additional studies are needed to characterize amblyopia by using new and existing clinical tests, leading to improved clinical classification and better prediction of treatment response. Attention also needs to be directed toward characterizing and measuring the impact of amblyopia on the patients' functional vision and health-related quality of life.
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An action video game for the treatment of amblyopia in children: A feasibility study. Vision Res 2018; 148:1-14. [PMID: 29709618 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2018] [Revised: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The gold-standard treatment for childhood amblyopia remains patching or penalizing the fellow eye, resulting in an average of about a one line (0.1 logMAR) improvement in visual acuity following ≈120 h of patching in children 3-8 years old. However, compliance with patching and other treatment options is often poor. In contrast, fast-paced action video games can be highly engaging, and have been shown to yield broad-based improvements in vision and attention in adult amblyopia. Here, we pilot-tested a custom-made action video game to treat children with amblyopia. Twenty-one (n = 21) children (mean age 9.95 ± 3.14 [se]) with unilateral amblyopia (n = 12 anisometropic and n = 9 strabismic) completed 20 h of game play either monocularly, with the fellow eye patched (n = 11), or dichoptically, with reduced contrast to the fellow eye (n = 10). Participants were assessed for visual acuity (VA), stereo acuity and reading speed at baseline, and following 10 and 20 h of play. Additional exploratory analyses examined improvements after 6-10 weeks of completion of training (follow-up). Following 20 h of training, VA improved, on average, by 0.14 logMAR (≈38%) for the dichoptic group and by 0.06 logMAR (≈15%) for the monocular group. Similarly, stereoacuity improved by 0.07 log arcsec (≈17%) following dichoptic training, and by 0.06 log arcsec (≈15%) following monocular training. Across both treatment groups, 7 of the 12 individuals with anisometropic amblyopia showed improvement in stereoacuity, whereas only 1 of the 9 strabismic individuals improved. Most improvements were largely retained at follow-up. Our feasibility study therefore suggests that the action video game approach may be used as an effective adjunct treatment for amblyopia in children, achieving results similar to those of the gold-standard treatment in shorter duration.
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Wallace DK, Repka MX, Lee KA, Melia M, Christiansen SP, Morse CL, Sprunger DT. Amblyopia Preferred Practice Pattern®. Ophthalmology 2018; 125:P105-P142. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2017.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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Comparison between over-glasses patching and adhesive patching for children with moderate amblyopia: a prospective randomized clinical trial. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2017; 256:429-437. [PMID: 29204689 DOI: 10.1007/s00417-017-3851-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate efficacy of over-glasses patching treatment for amblyopic children using visual function improvement and Amblyopia Treatment Index (ATI) changes. METHODS In a randomized multi-center controlled clinical trial, 107 children aged 3-7 years with moderate amblyopia (visual acuity in the range of 20/40 to 20/100) were included to receive treatment with either an adhesive skin patch or a fabric over-glasses patch. The patients were prescribed 2 h of patching per day for the sound eye. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was investigated and ATI questionnaires were collected from parents at 5 weeks and 17 weeks after the initiation of treatment. ATI identifies barriers and problems associated with amblyopia treatment. We compared the changes of visual acuity of amblyopic eyes and ATI scores in two groups. RESULTS At 17 weeks, the mean visual acuity of the amblyopic eye using Snellen chart improved 3.2 lines in the adhesive patching group and 2.7 lines for an over-glasses patching method that fit over eyeglasses (p = 0.345). A similar proportion of subjects in each group had improvement of ≥ 2 lines (adhesive patching group 67% vs over-glasses patching group 67%, p = 0.372). There was also no difference in treatment burden in each group as measured with the Amblyopia Treatment Index. The only item to demonstrate a significant difference between groups was that related to "Treatment makes the eye or eyelids red" (mean 4.0 ± 1.1 vs 3.0 ± 1.0 at 17 weeks, p = 0.001, for adhesive vs over-glasses patch). CONCLUSIONS Over-glasses patching treatment is a useful option for amblyopia treatment when the patients suffer from adverse effects of using adhesive skin patching.
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Tsao Wu M, Armitage MD, Trujillo C, Trujillo A, Arnold LE, Tsao Wu L, Arnold RW. Portable acuity screening for any school: validation of patched HOTV with amblyopic patients and Bangerter normals. BMC Ophthalmol 2017; 17:232. [PMID: 29202721 PMCID: PMC5716052 DOI: 10.1186/s12886-017-0624-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We needed to validate and calibrate our portable acuity screening tools so amblyopia could be detected quickly and effectively at school entry. Methods Spiral-bound flip cards and download pdf surround HOTV acuity test box with critical lines were combined with a matching card. Amblyopic patients performed critical line, then threshold acuity which was then compared to patched E-ETDRS acuity. 5 normal subjects wore Bangerter foil goggles to simulate blur for comparative validation. Results The 31 treated amblyopic eyes showed: logMAR HOTV = 0.97(logMAR E-ETDRS)-0.04 r2 = 0.88. All but two (6%) fell less than 2 lines difference. The five showed logMAR HOTV = 1.09 ((logMAR E-ETDRS) + .15 r2 = 0.63. The critical-line, test box was 98% efficient at screening within one line of 20/40. Conclusion These tools reliably detected acuity in treated amblyopic patients and Bangerter blurred normal subjects. These free and affordable tools provide sensitive screening for amblyopia in children from public, private and home schools. Changing “pass” criteria to 4 out of 5 would improve sensitivity with somewhat slower testing for all students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Tsao Wu
- Alaska Blind Child Discovery, Alaska Children's EYE & Strabismus, 3500 Latouche #280, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA
| | - M Diane Armitage
- Alaska Blind Child Discovery, Alaska Children's EYE & Strabismus, 3500 Latouche #280, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA
| | - Claire Trujillo
- Alaska Blind Child Discovery, Alaska Children's EYE & Strabismus, 3500 Latouche #280, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA
| | - Anna Trujillo
- Alaska Blind Child Discovery, Alaska Children's EYE & Strabismus, 3500 Latouche #280, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA
| | - Laura E Arnold
- Alaska Blind Child Discovery, Alaska Children's EYE & Strabismus, 3500 Latouche #280, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA
| | - Lauren Tsao Wu
- Alaska Blind Child Discovery, Alaska Children's EYE & Strabismus, 3500 Latouche #280, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA
| | - Robert W Arnold
- Alaska Blind Child Discovery, Alaska Children's EYE & Strabismus, 3500 Latouche #280, Anchorage, Alaska, 99508, USA.
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