Global prevalence of amblyopia and disease burden projections through 2040: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Effects of environmental enrichment on GLUT expression in the visual cortex of amblyopic rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the potential changes of glucose metabolism and glucose transporter protein (GLUT) in the visual cortex of formally deprived amblyopic rats, as well as the effects of enriched environments on the levels of nerve conduction and glucose metabolism in the visual cortex of amblyopic rats.

METHODS

36 rats were randomly divided into three groups: CON + SE (n = 12), MD + SE (n = 12) and MD + EE (n = 12). The right eyelids of both MD + SE and MD + EE groups were sutured. After successful modelling, the MD + EE group was maintained in an enriched environment, and the other two groups were kept in the same environment. Pattern visual evoked potentials (PVEP) was used to confirm models' effect, glucose metabolism was analyzed by Micro-PET/CT (18F-FDG), and the protein as well as mRNA expression levels of GLUT were detected by Western Blot and quantitative RT-PCR (quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction) analyses, site of GLUT expression by immunofluorescence (IF).

RESULTS

After suture modelling, both the MD + EE and MD + SE groups objective visual nerve conduction function decreased, the glucose metabolism in the visual cortex was markedly lower. After the enriched environment intervention, it recovered in the MD + EE group. The expression levels of GLUT1 and GLUT3 were increased in the MD + EE group in comparison with the MD + SE group. GLUT1 was primarily expressed on astrocytes and endothelial cells, but GLUT3 was mainly expressed on neurons.

CONCLUSION

Enrichment of the environment exhibited a therapeutic effect on amblyopia, which could be related to the enhancement of glucose metabolism and GLUT expression in the visual cortex.

SPEctacle Correction for the TReatment of Amblyopia (SPECTRA): study protocol for a prospective non-randomised interventional trial in adults with anisometropic/mixed mechanism amblyopia

INTRODUCTION

Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental vision disorder typically affecting one eye, resulting in compromised binocular function. While evidence-based treatments exist for children, there are no widely accepted treatments for adults. This trial aims to assess the efficacy of appropriate optical treatment in improving vision and visual functions in adults with amblyopia. This is hypothesised to significantly improve visual acuity of the amblyopic eye and other visual functions.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

SPEctacle Correction for the TReatment of Amblyopia is a prospective non-randomised interventional trial. The following criteria for amblyopia will be used: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the amblyopic eye of 0.3 to 1.0 (inclusive) logMAR VA and in the fellow eye, 0.1 logMAR or better, with an interocular VA difference of ≥2 logMAR lines. Eligible participants aged 18-39 will receive full/near-full optical treatment requiring wear for at least half their waking hours for the trial duration. A difference of ≥1.00D spherical equivalent between a participant's current refractive correction and the study prescription is required for eligibility. Primary outcome is the change in amblyopic eye BCVA from baseline to 24-week postenrolment. Secondary outcomes include distance and near VA of both eyes, stereoacuity, contrast sensitivity, interocular suppression, angle of strabismus and fixation stability measured at monthly intervals. Visual evoked potentials will also be measured at baseline, week 12 and week 24. Treatment compliance and quality of life for all participants will be monitored.Analyses comparing baseline and week 24 will utilise pairwise comparisons. Linear mixed models will be fitted to the data for measures taken monthly. This allows estimates and inferences to be drawn from the coefficients of the model, while handling missing data.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Human ethics approval was obtained from the respective ethics board of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HSEARS20210915002) and the University of Waterloo (#44235). The study protocol will conform to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05394987; clinicaltrials.org.

Effectiveness of Dichoptic Therapy for Treating Mild to Moderate Amblyopia in a Tertiary Eye Care Center in South India

PURPOSE

To contribute evidence about the effectiveness of dichoptic therapy in patients with mild to moderate amblyopia.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in patients enrolled for dichoptic therapy on the Bynocs AmblyGo platform (Kanohi Eye Pvt Ltd) from January to August 2023. Data collected included logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution best corrected visual acuity, anterior and posterior segment examination, fixation pattern, dynamic and cycloplegic refraction, orthoptic evaluation, and number of dichoptic therapy sessions. Visual acuity, binocularity, and stereopsis before and after therapy were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of 59 patients (median age: 11 years, range: 5 to 30 years) enrolled, 34 (57.6%) had anisometropic amblyopia, 12 (20.3%) had ametropic amblyopia, 10 (17.0%) had strabismic amblyopia, and 3 (5.1%) had deprivation amblyopia. All 6 (10.2%) and 15 (22.4%) patients who had no binocular single vision for near and distance before therapy, respectively, attained normal binocular single vision on completion, except one who suppressed at distance. Twenty-one (75.0%) had improved near stereopsis, and 21 (60.0%) had improved distance stereopsis. Of 74 eyes treated, 61 (82.4%) had improved visual acuity and 73 (98.6%) improved in at least one tested parameter. A majority of these eyes had residual amblyopia after occlusion therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Dichoptic therapy improves visual acuity, binocularity, and stereoacuity in patients with amblyopia, including those older than 8 years, especially in partial deprivation, ametropic, and anisometropic amblyopia. {J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 20XX;XX(X):XX-XX.].

Fine visuomotor skills in amblyopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Amblyopia is characterised by reduced visual acuity, poor binocular sensory fusion, and impaired or absent stereoacuity. Understanding the extent to which amblyopia affects everyday task performance is important to quantifying the disease burden of amblyopia and can assist clinicians to understand patients' likely functional capability.

METHODS

A systematic literature search identified published studies comparing fine visuomotor performance in either children or adults with amblyopia and those with normal binocular vision. The included studies (22 studies involving 835 amblyopes and 561 controls) reported results of self-perception patient reported outcome measures, tests of motor proficiency and video recorded reaching and grasping. The outcomes of 17 studies were grouped into four meta-analyses, with pooled results reported as standardised mean difference (SMD) with corresponding 95% CI.

RESULTS

Regardless of the cause of amblyopia (anisometropia, strabismus, mixed, deprivation), significant reduction in self-perception of physical competence and athletic competence (SMD=-0.74, 95% CI -1.23 to -0.25, p=0.003); fine motor skills scores (SMD=-0.86, 95% CI -1.27 to -0.45, p<0.0001); speed of visually guided reaching and grasping movements (SMD=0.86, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.08, p<0.00001); and precision of temporal eye-hand coordination (SMD=0.75, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.25, p=0.003) occurred in amblyopes compared with those with normal visual development.

CONCLUSION

Reports of the impact of amblyopia on fine motor skills performance find poorer outcomes in participants with amblyopia compared with those with normal vision development. Consistency in the outcome measure used to assess the functional impact of amblyopia would be valuable for future studies.

Comparing paediatric optometric vision care in Canada over a 14-year period

PURPOSE

In Canada, teaching in paediatric eye care has increased in the past decade both within the optometry curriculum and as continuing education to optometrists. Paediatric vision care guidelines have also been established by North American optometric associations. This study examined whether this exposure was associated with changes in paediatric eye care in Canada over a 14-year period.

METHODS

Canadian optometrists were invited to participate in an anonymous 35-item survey in 2007 and 2021. The surveys sought to investigate optometrist's recommendations for first eye examinations, the number of paediatric patients seen in a typical week and preparedness to provide eye examinations to children. Response frequencies were determined for each survey item.

RESULTS

Across Canada, 133/1000 (13.3%) and 261/~6419 (~4.1%) optometrists responded to the survey in 2007 and 2021, respectively. No significant difference was found in the number of years practicing, days per week in practice and total number of patients seen per week. The modal age optometrists recommended children be seen for their first eye examination changed from 3-4 years in 2007 (53%) to 6-12 months in 2021 (61%). In 2007, 87% of respondents provided eye examinations to children <2 years, increasing to 94% in 2021 (p = 0.02). Despite a reduction in the recommended age between the two survey years, the most frequent age children were seen for their first eye examination was 3-4 years (30% in both surveys) and the most common age seen in a typical week remained unchanged (4-6 years-56% 2007; 66% 2021).

CONCLUSION

Although optometrists' willingness to provide paediatric eye care increased over the past 14 years, the number of children seen in a typical week did not change. Barriers to determine why more children are not being seen at an earlier age need to be investigated.

The Performance of Chatbots and the AAPOS Website as a Tool for Amblyopia Education

PURPOSE

To evaluate the understandability, actionability, and readability of responses provided by the website of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS), ChatGPT-3.5, Bard, and Bing Chat about amblyopia and the appropriateness of the responses generated by the chatbots.

METHOD

Twenty-five questions provided by the AAPOS website were directed three times to fresh ChatGPT-3.5, Bard, and Bing Chat interfaces. Two experienced pediatric ophthalmologists categorized the responses of the chatbots in terms of their appropriateness. Flesch Reading Ease (FRE), Flesch Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), and Coleman-Liau Index (CLI) were used to evaluate the readability of the responses of the AAPOS website and chatbots. Furthermore, the understandability scores were evaluated using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT).

RESULTS

The appropriateness of the chatbots' responses was 84.0% for ChatGPT-3.5 and Bard and 80% for Bing Chat (P > .05). For understandability (mean PEMAT-U score AAPOS website: 81.5%, Bard: 77.6%, ChatGPT-3.5: 76.1%, and Bing Chat: 71.5%, P < .05) and actionability (mean PEMAT-A score AAPOS website: 74.6%, Bard: 69.2%, ChatGPT-3.5: 67.8%, and Bing Chat: 64.8%, P < .05), the AAPOs website scored better than the chat-bots. Three readability analyses showed that Bard had the highest mean score, followed by the AAPOS website, Bing Chat, and ChatGPT-3.5, and these scores were more challenging than the recommended level.

CONCLUSIONS

Chatbots have the potential to provide detailed and appropriate responses at acceptable levels. The AAPOS website has the advantage of providing information that is more understandable and actionable. The AAPOS website and chatbots, especially Chat-GPT, provided difficult-to-read data for patient education regarding amblyopia. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 20XX;X(X):XXX-XXX.].

Comparison of photorefraction by Plusoptix A12 and cycloplegic autorefraction in children

BACKGROUND

Plusoptix photoscreeners are capable of measuring refractive errors of children from 1 meter distance, without cyloplegia. We aimed to compare refractive data obtained from the newest version of Plusoptix (model 12) with cycloplegic autorefraction.

METHODS

We examined 111 consecutive children aged 3-7 years first by Plusoptix A12C under manifest condition and subsequently for cycloplegic refraction by Topcon KR-1 tabletop autorefractometer. Sphere, spherical equivalent, cylinder and axis of astigmatism measured by the two methods were analyzed to determine correlation, agreement and differences.

RESULTS

Binocular examination of 111 children aged 4.86±1.27 years revealed good agreement between refractive data obtained by Plusoptix and cycloautorefraction, according to Bland-Altman plots. Significant (p < 0.001) and strong correlation was found between all refractive measurements (Pearson's r value of 0.707 for sphere, 0.756 for pherical equivalent, and 0.863 for cylinder). Plusoptix mean sphere, spherical equivalent and cylinder were 1.22, 0.56, and -1.32 D, respectively. Corresponding values for cycloautorefraction were 1.63, 1.00, and -1.26 D. The difference between axis of cylinder measured by the two methods was < 10° in 144 eyes (64.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the significant agreement and correlation between Plusoptix photoscreener and cycloplegic autorefraction, the need for cycloplegic drops in refractive examination of children may be obviated. The mean difference between cylinder measurements are considerably trivial (0.06 D), but sphere is approximately 0.4 D underestimated by Plusoptix compared to cycloautorefraction, on average.

Resting-State Functional Connectivity of the Primary Visual Cortex in Children with Anisometropia Amblyopia

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to explore the functional connectivity of the primary visual cortex (V1) in children with anisometropic amblyopia by using the resting-state functional connectivity analysis method and determine whether anisometropic amblyopia is associated with changes in brain function.

METHODS

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were obtained from 16 children with anisometropia amblyopia (CAA group) and 12 healthy children (HC group) during the resting state. The Brodmann area 17 (BA17) was used as the region of interest, and the functional connection (FC) of V1 was analyzed in both groups. A two-sample t test was used to analyze the FC value between the two groups. Pearson's correlation was used to analyze the correlation between the mean FC value in the brain function change area of the CAA group and the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of amblyopia. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in age and sex between the CAA and HC groups (p > 0.05). Compared to the HC group, the CAA group showed lower FC values in BA17 and the left medial frontal gyrus, as well as BA17 and the left triangle inferior frontal gyrus. Conversely, the CAA group showed higher FC values in BA17 and the left central posterior gyrus. Notably, BCVA in amblyopia did not correlate with the area of change in mean FC in the brain function of the CAA group.

CONCLUSION

Resting-state fMRI-based functional connectivity analysis indicates a significant alteration in V1 of children with anisometropic amblyopia. These findings contribute additional insights into the neuropathological mechanisms underlying visual impairment in anisometropic amblyopia.

Associations between unilateral amblyopia in childhood and cardiometabolic disorders in adult life: a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of the UK Biobank

Background

Amblyopia is a common neurodevelopmental condition and leading cause of childhood visual impairment. Given the known association between neurodevelopmental impairment and cardiometabolic dysfunction in later life, we investigated whether children with amblyopia have increased risk of cardiometabolic disorders in adult life.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of 126,399 United Kingdom Biobank cohort participants who underwent ocular examination. A subset of 67,321 of these received retinal imaging. Data analysis was conducted between November 1st 2021 and October 15th 2022. Our primary objective was to investigate the association between amblyopia and a number of components of metabolic syndrome and individual cardiometabolic diseases. Childhood amblyopia, dichotomised as resolved or persisting by adulthood, cardiometabolic disease and mortality were defined using ophthalmic assessment, self-reported, hospital admissions and death records. Morphological features of the optic nerve and retinal vasculature and sublayers were extracted from retinal photography and optical coherence tomography. Associations between amblyopia and cardiometabolic disorders as well as retinal markers were investigated in multivariable-adjusted regression models.

Findings

Individuals with persisting amblyopia (n = 2647) were more likely to be obese (adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 1.16 (1.05; 1.28)), hypertensive (1.25 (1.13; 1.38)) and diabetic (1.29 (1.04; 1.59)) than individuals without amblyopia (controls, (n = 18,481)). Amblyopia was also associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.38 (1.11; 1.72)) and death (1.36 (1.15; 1.60)). On retinal imaging, amblyopic eyes had significantly increased venular caliber (0.29 units (0.21; 0.36)), increased tortuosity (0.11 units (0.03; 0.19)), but lower fractal dimension (-0.23 units (-0.30; -0.16)) and thinner ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGC-IPL, -2.85 microns (-3.47; -2.22)). Unaffected fellow eyes of individuals with amblyopia also had significantly lower retinal fractal dimension (-0.08 units (-0.15; -0.01)) and thinner mGC-IPL (-1.14 microns (-1.74; -0.54)). Amblyopic eyes with a persisting visual deficit had smaller optic nerve disc height (-0.17 units (-0.25; -0.08)) and width (-0.13 units (-0.21; -0.04)) compared to control eyes.

Interpretation

Although further research is needed to understand the basis of the observed associations, healthcare professionals should be cognisant of greater cardiometabolic dysfunction in adults who had childhood amblyopia. Differences in retinal features in both the amblyopic eye and the unaffected non-amblyopic suggest generalised versus local processes.

Funding

Medical Research Council (MR/T000953/1) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Developing a Novel Pediatric Eye Chart Assessing Visual Acuity by Minimum Separable Threshold

The purpose of this study was to develop a new pediatric acuity chart that can assess the minimum separation threshold by incorporating the minimum separation threshold into the picture. To overcome the design limitations of the Landolt ring, two designs of highly versatile minimum separable thresholds that can be easily incorporated into a picture were created: a black, filled circle (the "Circle") and a segment (the "Square"), both with the same break as in the Landolt ring. The three designs-the Landolt ring, Circle, and Square-were used to evaluate and compare the differences in the visual acuity of 21 healthy adults. No significant differences were observed between the results of the visual acuity tested with the Landolt ring, Circle, and Square (Landolt ring vs. Circle: p = 0.92, Landolt ring vs. Square: p = 0.31, Circle vs. Square: p = 0.40). The Bland-Altman analysis revealed no fixed errors between the Landolt ring and Circle and between the Landolt ring and Square (95% CI: -0.09-0.08, -0.09-0.12). Proportional errors were also not observed (p = 0.68, p = 0.41). The Landolt ring, Circle, and Square designs obtained equal results in visual acuity, thus achieving the successful development of a novel pediatric visual acuity chart using these designs.

Protective Effect of Amblyopia on Age-Related Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE

Our aim was to evaluate whether patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cooccurrent amblyopia are more likely to have diseases diagnosed on both the ipsilateral and the contralateral side in a large Austrian database.

DESIGN

Retrospective cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Setting: Institutional practice.

PATIENT POPULATION

Medical records of all patients who visited the Department of Ophthalmology of the Medical University of Graz between December 1996 and June 2021 were searched for the co-occurrence of AMD and amblyopia.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Data from patients with AMD diagnosed on 1 eye side were used for further analysis. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography images were analyzed to confirm the lateral asymmetry of AMD.

RESULTS

A total of 327,443 patients were screened for the co-occurrence of AMD and amblyopia. Of them, 8742 patients had AMD diagnosed on 1 eye side and 5051 patients had unilateral amblyopia. In total, 163 patients were found to have AMD diagnosed on 1 side and unilateral amblyopia in combination. Of these, 126 patients had AMD and amblyopia on contralateral sides and 37 had AMD and amblyopia on the ipsilateral side (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Less amblyopic patients had AMD diagnosed on the amblyopic eye compared with the nonamblyopic eye. In cases of lateral asymmetry, the nonamblyopic eye is more likely to have the more advanced form of AMD.

Cost-effectiveness of screening for amblyopia among kindergarten children in China

Objective

Current cost-effectiveness analyses of amblyopia screening are mainly from western countries. It remains unclear whether it is cost-effective to implement a preschool amblyopia screening programme in China. Our study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical kindergarten-based amblyopia screening versus non-screening among 3-year-old children.

Methods

We developed a decision tree combined with a Markov model to compare the cost and effectiveness of screening versus non-screening for 3-year-old children from a third-party payment perspective. The primary outcomes were quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Costs were obtained from expert opinions in different regions of China. Transition probabilities and health utilities were mainly based on published literature and open sources. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the impact of parameters' uncertainty on results.

Results

Base-case analysis demonstrated that the ICER of screening versus non-screening was $17,466/QALY, well below the WTP threshold ($38,223/QALY) for China. One-way sensitivity analysis showed that the prevalence of amblyopia, the transition probability per year from untreated amblyopia to healthy, and the discount rate were the top three factors. The likelihood of cost-effectiveness of screening compared with non-screening was 92.56%, according to probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Scenario analysis also indicated that ICER was lower than the WTP threshold even if the time horizon was shortened or the screening was delayed to the age of 4 or 5.

Conclusions

Amblyopia screening could be considered a cost-effective strategy compared to non-screening for 3-year-old children in China. Screening for children at the age of 4 or 5 may even yield better results.

[Wavefront characteristics in amblyopia of different etiologies in children]

Purpose. The study investigates corneal and higher-order internal aberrations in patients with amblyopia of different etiologies and their relationship with visual acuity, refraction, axial length, and fixation parameters.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Forty-five patients (90 eyes) were examined. All patients were divided into five groups: 1 - with dysbinocular amblyopia; 2 - with refractive amblyopia; 3 - with anisometropic amblyopia; 4 - with relative amblyopia due to congenital myopia; 5 (control) - fellow eyes without amblyopia. Aberrometry was performed using the OPD-Scan III device (Nidek, Japan). Fixation parameters were studied on the MP-3 microperimeter (Nidek, Japan). Correlation analysis was performed using Pearson's linear correlation coefficient (r).

RESULTS

In amblyopia associated with congenital myopia, a significant increase in corneal and internal aberrations RMS, Total HOA, astigmatism (V) (0.65±0.26; 1.01±0.31; 4.22±1.17; -2.17±0.72; 0.86±0.3, respectively; control group - 0.44±0.19; 0.58±0.27; 1.0±0.75; -0.94±0.89; 0.47±0.65) and internal spherical aberration (0.06±0.02; control group - 0.04±0.03) was found. In dysbinocular amblyopia, a significant increase in internal aberrations Trefoil (V) and Coma (H) (0.75±0.52 and 0.17±0.35, respectively; control group - 0.05±0.28 and -0.07±0.21) was found, which correlated with a decrease in fixation density in the 2° ring (r= -0.40, r= -0.41).

CONCLUSIONS

The increased level of higher-order aberrations in amblyopia associated with congenital myopia is due to the anatomical and optical features of the eyes. The increase in internal aberrations Trefoil (V) and Coma (H) in dysbinocular amblyopia is associated with a mismatch of the optical elements of the eye due to impaired fixation, i.e., it is not the cause, but the consequence of amblyopia.

Predicting ophthalmic clinic non-attendance using machine learning: Development and validation of models using nationwide data

BACKGROUND

Ophthalmic clinic non-attendance in New Zealand is associated with poorer health outcomes, marked inequities and costs NZD$30 million per annum. Initiatives to improve attendance typically involve expensive and ineffective brute-force strategies. The aim was to develop machine learning models to accurately predict ophthalmic clinic non-attendance.

METHODS

This multicentre, retrospective observational study developed and validated predictive models of clinic non-attendance. Attendance data for 3.1 million appointments from all New Zealand government-funded ophthalmology clinics from 2009 to 2018 were aggregated for analysis. Repeated ten-fold cross validation was used to train and optimise XGBoost and logistic regression models on several demographic and clinic-related variables. Models developed using the entire training set were compared with those restricted to regional subsets of the data.

RESULTS

In the testing data set from 2019, there were 407 574 appointments (median [range] age, 66 [0-105] years; 210 365 [51.6%] female) with a non-attendance rate of 5.7% (n = 23 309 missed appointments), XGBoost models trained on each region's data achieved the highest mean AUROC of 0.764 (SD 0.058) and mean AUPRC of 0.157 (SD 0.072). XGBoost performed better than logistic regression (mean AUROC = 0.756, p = 0.002). Training individual XGBoost models for each region led to better performance than training a single model on the complete nationwide dataset (mean AUROC = 0.754, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Machine learning algorithms can predict ophthalmic clinic non-attendance with relatively basic demographic and clinic data. These findings suggest further research examining implementation of such algorithms in scheduling systems or public health interventions may be useful.

Pattern visual evoked potential and foveal sensitivity in amblyopia

PURPOSE

Amblyopic eyes show impaired visual functions such as poor visual acuity and reduced foveal sensitivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between foveal threshold and visual evoked potentials (VEP) in strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia.

METHODS

Forty-five subjects (age range: 7-28 years, 43.3% female) including 15 strabismic and 15 anisometropic amblyopes, and 15 age-similar control subjects participated in this study. Each subject had pattern visual evoked potentials and foveal threshold recorded in each eye using RetiScan (Roland Consult, Germany) and Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer II (HFA II; Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, CA), respectively. These outcomes were compared among the amblyopic eyes, their fellow eyes, and the control eyes.

RESULTS

Compared to the amblyopic eyes (Mean ± SD: 33.4 ± 3.48 dB), the foveal threshold was higher in fellow eyes (37.0 ± 2.04 dB, p = 0.0002) and in control eyes (38.7 ± 0.96 dB, p < 0.0001). Strabismic amblyopes had a lower foveal threshold than anisometropic amblyopes (31.8 ± 3.86 vs. 35.0 ± 2.17 dB, p = 0.005). Relative to the P100 peak time in fellow eyes (1° checks:116.1 ± 9.00 ms; 0.25° checks:118.8 ± 5.67 ms), amblyopic eyes had delayed P100 peak times for both 1° (122.7 ± 11.4 ms, p < 0.0001) and 0.25° (130.4 ± 11.2 ms, p < 0.0001) check sizes. There were also significant differences in P100 peak time between amblyopic and control eyes (1°:122.7 ± 11.4 vs.112.4 ± 5.01 ms, p = 0.15; 0.25°:130.4 ± 11.2 vs.113.9 ± 5.71 ms, p < 0.0001) and between fellow and control eyes (0.25°:118.8 ± 5.67 vs.113.9 ± 5.71 ms, p = 0.009). Amblyopic eyes exhibited lower N75-P100 amplitudes than fellow eyes (1°:12.6 ± 7.96 vs.15.9 ± 8.82 µV, p = 0.01; 0.25°:10.6 ± 6.11 vs. 15.8 ± 10.6 µV, p = 0.001) and control eyes (0.25°: p = 0.0008). Foveal threshold correlated negatively with P100 peak time (1°: r = -0.45, p = 0.002 and 0.25°: r = -0.58, p < 0.0001) and positively with N75-P100 amplitude responses (1°: r = 0.42, p = 0.004 and 0.25°: r = 0.52, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Amblyopic eyes showed reduced pattern VEP amplitudes and delayed peak times with significant associations with the foveal sensitivity. However, the VEP measures overlapped extensively between amblyopic and control eyes with no apparent criterion value for optimal discrimination, suggesting that foveal sensitivity might be a better discriminator of amblyopia than pattern VEP.

OCT-Angiography Findings in Children with Anisometropic Amblyopia

PURPOSE

The purpose of this prospective study is to show findings of OCT angiography in children with anisometropic amblyopia with a statistically significant difference, regardless of the type of refractive disorder, between the amblyopic and the fellow eye. This research aimed to establish whether there is a difference in vascular density [VD] and size of the foveal avascular zone [FAZ] in the superficial capillary plexus [SCP].

METHODS

All children between 9 and 18 years of age who were treated at the Outpatient Clinic for Orthoptics and Pleoptics of the Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Maribor from January 2020 to December 2022 due to unilateral anisometric amblyopia were enrolled in our study. Fourteen children met the criteria. Cirrus 5000 high-resolution OCT with AngioPlex OCT angiography was used to analyze the size of the FAZ and VD in the SCP and TCS. The paired t-test or Wilcox signed-rank test [p < 0.05] was used for statistical analysis of each parameter between the amblyopic and fellow eye.

RESULTS

Mean child age was 13 years ± 2.9 and ranged from 9 to 18 years. Most of the children [85.7%] were boys. The VD of the SCP did not show statistically significant differences between the visually impaired and control eyes [p = 0.328]. The comparison of the FAZ area between the two eyes was also not statistically significant [p < 0.808]. There was also no statistically significant difference in central macular thickness [TCS] [p < 0.291].

CONCLUSIONS

Our research results show no statistically significant differences in the VD and the FAZ of the SCP, and in the TCS between the amblyopic and fellow eye in children with unilateral anisometropic amblyopia. Our research did not confirm the results of certain previous studies in which a lower density of the capillary network was present in the visually impaired eye. Further studies with more children are necessary to confirm our results.

Anisometropic amblyopia: A review of functional and structural changes and treatment

Amblyopia is the decreased best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in one or both eyes caused by the abnormal processing of visual input during development. One common cause of amblyopia is anisometropia, which has attracted widespread attention. Many structural changes occur in the primary and extrastriate visual areas of the cerebral cortex, as well as in the eyes, in patients with anisometropic amblyopia. Understanding these mechanisms has provided a favorable theoretical basis for treating anisometropic amblyopia. This article reviews the functional and anatomical changes and progress toward the treatment of anisometropic amblyopia.

Standard Amblyopia Therapy in Adults with Longstanding Amblyopia Improves Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity

Purpose

Perceptual learning or dichoptic training may result in improved acuity in adult amblyopes. However, for amblyopic children (<18 years), most clinicians recommend standard part-time patching. The purpose of this study was to determine if standard amblyopia therapy results in an enhancement in vision in the amblyopic eye of adults.

Patients and Methods

Fifteen amblyopes (20/30 or worse) were recruited and nine (age (SD) 32.9 (16.31)) with anisometropia or anisometropia and strabismus (ie, combined mechanism amblyopia) completed the study. Previous therapy did not exclude subjects. The subjects received a comprehensive eye exam and wore their best correction for at least four weeks prior to baseline testing. The non-amblyopic eye was patched for 2 hours per day (Amblyopia iNET training for 30 minutes and near/distance activities for 1.5 hours). The subjects had a baseline amblyopia evaluation followed by one visit per week for 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, the treatment was tapered off over one month and the subjects had a final amblyopia evaluation at 24 weeks. Contrast sensitivity was measured at baseline and 12 weeks with the Quick CSF system.

Results

The subjects had a significant improvement in visual acuity across the weeks (p < 0.001). At baseline, weeks 12 and 24, the average logMAR acuities (SE) were 0.55 (0.09), 0.41 (0.08), and 0.38 (0.09), respectively. Weeks 4 to 24 were significantly different (p < 0.001) from baseline. The average acuity improvement over the 24 weeks was 1.7 logMAR lines. There was a significant increase in the area under the log contrast sensitivity function (p = 0.002) and its estimated acuity (p = 0.036) from baseline to 12 weeks.

Conclusion

Standard amblyopia treatment can result in an improvement in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in adults with longstanding anisometropic or combined mechanism amblyopia even if they had prior therapy.

The blinq™ Vision Screener in Detection of Amblyopia and Strabismus

PURPOSE

The blinq (Rebion Inc) is a new screening device designed to directly detect amblyopia and strabismus rather than amblyopia risk factors. We performed an independent assessment of the effectiveness of the blinq in detecting amblyopia and strabismus.

DESIGN

Prospective clinical validity analysis of a screening device based on sensitivity and specificity.

METHODS

Children presenting for examination in the pediatric ophthalmology clinic underwent screening with the blinq before examination by a pediatric ophthalmologist blinded to the screening results. Results of the blinq and examination findings of strabismus or amblyopia were compared.

RESULTS

In our cohort of 267 children with an average age of 6.3 years, the sensitivity of the blinq to detect amblyopia or any constant strabismus was 87.5% (78.2%-93.8%) and specificity was 51.3% (43.9%-58.7%). Using the previously described "appropriate referral gold standard" criteria, including children with intermittent strabismus and high refractive error, the sensitivity increased to 91.3% and the specificity to 63.2%. We found a high number of children (44 [16%]) upon whom the blinq timed out and were included as automatic referrals.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support use of the blinq as a screening device to detect amblyopia and strabismus in children.

Recovery from Amblyopia in Adulthood: A Meta-Analysis

Purpose

The effectiveness of traditional amblyopia therapies is largely restricted to childhood. However, recovery in adulthood is possible following removal or vision-limiting disease of the fellow eye. Study of this phenomenon is currently limited to isolated case reports and a few case series, with reported incidence ranging from 19-77% 1-5 . We set out to accomplish two distinct goals: (1) define the incidence of clinically meaningful recovery and (2) elucidate the clinical features associated with greater amblyopic eye gains.

Methods

A systematic review of 3 literature databases yielded 23 reports containing 109 cases of patients ≥18 years old with unilateral amblyopia and vision-limiting fellow eye pathology.

Results

Study 1 revealed 25/42 (59.5%) of adult patients gained ≥2 logMAR lines in the amblyopia eye after FE vision loss. The overall degree of improvement is clinically meaningful (median 2.6 logMAR lines). Study 2 showed that for cases with amblyopic eye visual acuity improvement, recovery occurs within 12 months of initial loss of fellow eye vision. Regression analysis revealed that younger age, worse baseline acuity in the amblyopic eye, and worse vision in the fellow eye independently conferred greater gains in amblyopic eye visual acuity. Recovery occurs across amblyopia types and fellow eye pathologies, although disease entities affecting fellow eye retinal ganglion cells demonstrate shorter latencies to recovery.

Conclusions

Amblyopia recovery after fellow eye injury demonstrates that the adult brain harbors the neuroplastic capacity for clinically meaningful recovery, which could potentially be harnessed by novel approaches to treat adults with amblyopia.

Stereoptic serious games as a visual rehabilitation tool for individuals with a residual amblyopia (AMBER trial): a protocol for a crossover randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Amblyopia is the most common developmental vision disorder in children. The initial treatment consists of refractive correction. When insufficient, occlusion therapy may further improve visual acuity. However, the challenges and compliance issues associated with occlusion therapy may result in treatment failure and residual amblyopia. Virtual reality (VR) games developed to improve visual function have shown positive preliminary results. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of these games to improve vision, attention, and motor skills in patients with residual amblyopia and identify brain-related changes. We hypothesize that a VR-based training with the suggested ingredients (3D cues and rich feedback), combined with increasing the difficulty level and the use of various games in a home-based environment is crucial for treatment efficacy of vision recovery, and may be particularly effective in children.

METHODS

The AMBER study is a randomized, cross-over, controlled trial designed to assess the effect of binocular stimulation (VR-based stereoptic serious games) in individuals with residual amblyopia (n = 30, 6-35 years of age), compared to refractive correction on vision, selective attention and motor control skills. Additionally, they will be compared to a control group of age-matched healthy individuals (n = 30) to account for the unique benefit of VR-based serious games. All participants will play serious games 30 min per day, 5 days per week, for 8 weeks. The games are delivered with the Vivid Vision Home software. The amblyopic cohort will receive both treatments in a randomized order according to the type of amblyopia, while the control group will only receive the VR-based stereoscopic serious games. The primary outcome is visual acuity in the amblyopic eye. Secondary outcomes include stereoacuity, functional vision, cortical visual responses, selective attention, and motor control. The outcomes will be measured before and after each treatment with 8-week follow-up.

DISCUSSION

The VR-based games used in this study have been conceived to deliver binocular visual stimulation tailored to the individual visual needs of the patient, which will potentially result in improved basic and functional vision skills as well as visual attention and motor control skills.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT05114252) and in the Swiss National Clinical Trials Portal (identifier: SNCTP000005024).

Impact of Part-time Occlusion on Visual Outcomes in Pediatric Patients With Optic Nerve Pathology

The visual outcomes of seven children with specific optic nerve pathologies and coexisting amblyopia after at least 1 year of part-time patching demonstrated a visual acuity improvement of greater than 0.1 logMAR. The results suggest that part-time patching may lead to improvement in visual function even in the setting of optic nerve pathology, albeit with a more limited response compared to full-time patching. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2023;60(3):e19-e21.].

The impact of COVID-19 on compliance to amblyopia treatment in a tertiary eye care center

Purpose

To investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak on compliance to amblyopia therapy from the perspective of parents of amblyopic children.

Methods

The participants for the qualitative study were enrolled from the medical records of a tertiary eye care center during the COVID-19 pandemic. The trained researcher conducted telephonic interviews consisting of validated 15 open-ended questions for 15 min. The questions were related to patients' compliance toward amblyopia treatment and the date of follow-up with their practitioners. The data collected were entered on Excel sheets in the participant's own words and later converted to a transcript for analysis.

Results

A total of 217 parents of children with amblyopia who were due for follow-up were contacted through telephone. The response rate for willingness to participate was only 36% (n = 78). Of these, 76% (n = 59) of parents reported that their child was compliant toward the treatment during the therapy period and 69% reported that their child was currently not on treatment for amblyopia.

Conclusion

In the current study, we have observed that although reported compliance by parents during the therapy period was good, around 69% of patients had discontinued amblyopia therapy. The main reason for the discontinuation of therapy was the failure to visit the hospital during the scheduled follow-up with the eye care practitioner.

Refractive status and retinal morphology in children with a history of intravitreal ranibizumab for retinopathy of prematurity

This study investigated the characteristics of refractive status, visual acuity, and retinal morphology in children with a history of receiving intravitreal ranibizumab for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Children 4-6 years of age were enrolled and divided into the following four groups: group 1, children with a history of ROP who had been treated with intravitreal ranibizumab; group 2, children with a history of ROP who had not received any treatment; group 3, premature children without ROP; and group 4, full-term children. Refractive status, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), and macular thickness were measured. A total of 204 children were enrolled. In group 1, myopic shift was not noted, but poorer best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and shorter axial length were observed. Significantly lower peripapillary RNFL thickness in the average total and superior quadrant, higher central subfield thickness, lower parafoveal retinal thickness in average total, superior, and nasal and temporal quadrants were observed in group 1 than in the other groups. The poor BCVA in patients with ROP was correlated with the lower RNFL thickness in the superior quadrant.   Conclusion: Children with a history of type 1 ROP treated with ranibizumab did not show a myopic shift but did show abnormal retinal morphology and the poorest BCVA among all groups. We suggest that pediatric ophthalmologists should always pay attention to visual development in patients with ROP with a history of intravitreal ranibizumab. What is Known: • Anti-VEGF is efficiently and widely used in the treatment of type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and different anti-VEGF agents are associated with different prevalence of myopia. • Patients with ROP who receive treatment such as laser therapy or cryotherapy have abnormal macular development and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness. What is New: • Children with a history of ROP treated with intravitreal ranibizumab did not show a myopic shift but did show poor BCVA at 4-6 years of age. • Abnormal macular morphology and lower peripapillary RNFL thickness were found in these children.

Analysis of risk factors associated with the high incidence of amblyopia in preterm infants at the corrected gestational age of 12 months

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the perinatal and in-hospital risk factors associated with the high incidence of amblyopia in preterm infants and to analyze the correlation between the amblyopia and neurodevelopment.

METHODS

Children discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at 12 months of corrected gestational age were retrospectively included in this study. Ocular screening was performed in children. At the risk of amblyopia was determined according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology Guidelines for automated preschool vision screening factors. Differences in perinatal characteristics, complications during hospitalization, and treatment modalities between the two groups of children were analyzed, and multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for amblyopia. The results of developmental assessment were collected retrospectively to analyze the correlation between amblyopia and various aspects of neurological development.

RESULTS

A total of 128 preterm infants, 30 in the amblyopia risk group and 98 in the non-amblyopia risk group, were included in this study. Univariate analysis showed that the amblyopia risk group had lower birth weights, higher rates of asphyxia, preterm brain white matter injury, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), sepsis during hospitalization, and higher rates of treatment with pulmonary surfactant (PS), blood transfusion, invasive ventilator, and levothyroxine. Logistic regression analysis showed that BPD in the neonatal period (odds ratio [OR] 8.355, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.492, 46.786), brain white matter injury (OR 16.742, 95% CI 0.684, 409.804), treatment with levothyroxine (OR 2.859, 95% CI 0.946, 8.639), and use of an invasive ventilator (OR 2.983, 95% CI 0.942, 9.445) were independent risk factors for amblyopia at 12 months of corrected gestational age, while the administration of glucocorticoids (OR 0.055, 95% CI 0.004, 0.737) was a protective factor. Regarding neurodevelopmental assessment, the number of infants with lagging fine motor development was greater in the amblyopia risk group.

CONCLUSION

The presence of BPD in the neonatal period, brain white matter damage in preterm infants, and use of levothyroxine and invasive ventilator were high risk factors for amblyopia. The use of glucocorticoids therapy was a protective factor. Children with risk of amblyopia had a higher rate of poor fine motor development.

Diagnostic performance of the Spot vision photoscreener for the detection of exodeviation in preschool-aged children

PURPOSE

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Welch Allyn Spot Vision photoscreener in preschool children for detecting exotropia, the most prevalent type of strabismus among Asian children.

METHODS

Children aged 3-6 years were screened using the Spot Vision photoscreener and then underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination on the same day. A child with exodeviation ≥8 Δ in the primary position using the cover-uncover test and the alternate prism cover test was confirmed to have exotropia. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of the photoscreener in detecting exotropia were calculated. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the angle of deviation (≥25 Δ vs. <25 Δ) and fusional control (good/fair vs. poor).

RESULTS

Two hundred and ten children were included in this study. Among 80 exotropia-confirmed children, 23 needed referrals for exodeviation (screening-positive) and 57 were proven to be screening-negatives with the photoscreener. The overall sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of the photoscreener for detecting exotropia were 28.8%, 95.4%, 79.3% and 68.5%, respectively. The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 6.26 and 0.75, respectively. Compared with the 57 children with false-negatives (71.3%), those with true-positive results with the photoscreener had significantly larger angles of exodeviation (p = 0.02) and a higher proportion of poor fusional control (p = 0.004). The photoscreener had low sensitivity even in detecting exotropia ≥25 Δ or those with poor fusional control (35.2% and 43.6%, respectively). Approximately 65% (42 out of 64) of the children with a significant exodeviation which needed strabismus surgery were not identified by the Spot Vision Photoscreener.

CONCLUSIONS

The Spot Vision photoscreener has low sensitivity for detecting exodeviation. It should not be used alone for assessing exotropia in preschool-aged children.

Partial Recovery of Amblyopia After Fellow Eye Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

BACKGROUND

Recovery from amblyopia in adulthood after fellow eye (FE) vision loss is a well-known phenomenon. Incidence of recovery varies widely following different FE pathologies, and the rate of recovery after FE ischemic optic neuropathy (ION) has not been examined. We aimed to determine the frequency and degree of improvement in amblyopic eye (AE) visual function after ION in the FE.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective chart review of patients between 2007 and 2021 confirmed to have amblyopia and ischemic optic neuropathy in different eyes. Patients with unstable ocular pathology potentially limiting vision were excluded. We compared the best-corrected visual acuity (VA) in each eye before and after FE ION over time. For patients with available data, we examined change in perimetric performance over time.

RESULTS

Among the 12 patients who met the inclusion criteria (mean age 67 ± 8 years), 9 (75%) improved ≥1 line and 2 (17%) improved ≥3 lines. The median time from ION symptom onset to maximal improvement was 6 months (range: 2-101 months). Reliable perimetric data were available for 6 patients. Mean sensitivity improved in the AE for all patients, with mean improvement of 1.9 ± 1.1 dB. There was no correspondence between foci of ION-related field loss and gains in field sensitivity in the AE.

CONCLUSIONS

A high proportion of patients with amblyopia and contralateral ION experience improvement in AEVA. Modest gains in perimetric sensitivity in the AE may accompany FE ION. These findings support the view that residual plasticity in the adult visual cortex can be tapped to support functional improvement in amblyopia.

Ocular blood flow evaluation by laser speckle flowgraphy in pediatric patients with anisometropia

Purpose

To determine the differences and reproducibility of blood flow among hyperopic anisometropic, fellow, and control eyes.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 38 eyes of 19 patients with hyperopic anisometropia (8.2 ± 3.0 years of age) and 13 eyes of eight control patients (6.8 ± 1.9 years). We measured the optic nerve head (ONH) and choroidal circulation using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) and analyzed the choroidal mean blur rate (MBR-choroid), MBR-A (mean of all values in ONH), MBR-V (vessel mean), MBR-T (tissue mean), and sample size (sample), which are thought to reflect the ONH area ratio, area ratio of the blood stream (ARBS). We then assessed the coefficient of variation (COV) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and compared the differences among amblyopic, fellow, and control eyes in MBR, sample, and ARBS.

Results

The ONH, MBR-A, MBR-T, and ARBS of amblyopic eyes were significantly higher than those of fellow eyes (P < 0.01, P < 0.05, and P < 0.05, respectively), and control eyes (MBR-A and ARBS, P < 0.05, for both comparisons). The sample-T (size of tissue component) in amblyopic eyes was significantly smaller than that in fellow and control eyes (P < 0.05). Blood flow in the choroid did not differ significantly between the eyes. The COVs of the MBR, sample, and ARBS were all ≤10%. All ICCs were ≥0.7. The COVs of pulse waveform parameter fluctuation, blowout score (BOS), blowout time (BOT), and resistivity index (RI) in the ONH and choroid were ≤10%.

Conclusion

The MBR value of the LSFG in children exhibited reproducibility. Thus, this method can be used in clinical studies. The MBR values of the ONH in amblyopic eyes were significantly high. It has been suggested that measuring ONH blood flow using LSFG could detect the anisometropic amblyopic eyes.

Combined therapy of bilateral transcranial direct current stimulation and ocular occlusion improves visual function in adults with amblyopia, a randomized pilot study

Background

Amblyopia is the interocular visual acuity difference of two lines or more with the best correction in both eyes. It is treated with ocular occlusion therapy, but its success depends on neuroplasticity, and thus is effective in children but not adults. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is suggested to increase neuroplasticity.

Objective

To determine if combined intervention of bilateral tDCS and ocular occlusion improves visual function in adults with amblyopia.

Methods

A double-blind randomized, controlled pilot trial was conducted in 10 volunteers with amblyopia. While applying ocular occlusion and performing a reading task, participants received bilateral tDCS (n = 5) or sham stimulation (n = 5), with the anodal tDCS electrode in the contralateral visual cortex and the cathodal in the ipsilateral visual cortex in relation to the amblyopic eye. Visual function (through visual acuity, stereopsis, and contrast sensitivity tests) and visual evoked potential (with checkerboard pattern stimuli presentation) were evaluated immediately after.

Results

A total of 30 min after treatment with bilateral tDCS, visual acuity improved by 0.16 (± 0.025) LogMAR in the treatment group compared with no improvement (-0.02 ± 0.02) in five controls (p = 0.0079), along with a significant increase in the amplitude of visual evoked potentials of the amblyopic eye response (p = 0.0286). No significant changes were observed in stereopsis and contrast sensitivity. No volunteer reported any harm derived from the intervention.

Conclusion

Our study is the first to combine anodal and cathodal tDCS for the treatment of amblyopia, showing transient improved visual acuity in amblyopic adults.

Positive predictive value of dual-modality vision screening in school children 4-7 years of age-a retrospective review in Queensland, Australia

PURPOSE

To report the outcomes and positive predictive value (PPV) of vision screening in schoolchildren 4-7 years of age through the Primary School Nurse Health Readiness Program (PSNHRP) in Queensland, Australia.

METHODS

A retrospective review of schoolchildren who underwent vision screening between January 2017 and December 2020 was conducted. Vision screening was performed through a dual-examination method, using the Parr 4m letter-matching vision test with crowding bars and the Spot photoscreener. Children were referred to an optometrist or ophthalmologist for review as required and if they failed either screening modality. PPVs were calculated based on whether a visual abnormality was confirmed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.

RESULTS

Of 185,685 eligible children, 176,164 (94.9%) consented to vision screening, 164,890 (93.6%) consented children underwent vision screening, and of those 12,148 (7.4%) were referred for an eye assessment. Of the 8,659 children with a known outcome (71.3% of referred), 6,011 (69.4% of known outcomes) had a confirmed visual abnormality and 2,648 (30.6%) children did not. The PPV was 0.73 when a referral was indicated by the photoscreener result, 0.76 when indicated by visual acuity testing, and 0.91 when indicated by both the photoscreener and visual acuity testing.

CONCLUSIONS

The PSNHRP vision screening program showed a high uptake, and the dual screening method was effective in identifying visual abnormalities, with higher PPV when both visual acuity and photoscreener results indicated a need for referral.

Photoscreening for amblyopia risk factors assessment in young children: A systematic review with meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Amblyopia is a leading cause of preventable and treatable vision loss in the pediatric population. Instrument-based screening of amblyopia-risk factors is being widely adopted but the audit of its results is still lacking. We sought to review the existing evidence regarding the outcomes of photoscreening applied to children under the age of three years.

METHODS

A three-database search (Pubmed, ISI Web of Science, and Scopus) was performed from inception to March 2021. A meta-analysis of proportions was conducted to summarize the referral rate, untestable rate and positive predictive value (PPV).

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were selected among 705 original abstracts. The quantitative analysis included twelve studies enrolling 64,041 children. Of these, 13% (95%CI: 7-19%) were referred for further confirmation of the screening result. Astigmatism was the most common diagnosis both after screening and after ophthalmologic assessment of referred children. The pooled untestable rate and PPV were 8% (95%CI: 3-15%) and 56% (95%CI: 40-71%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

There is no global consensus on the optimal age, frequency or what magnitude of refractive error must be considered an amblyopia-risk factor. Optimization of referral criteria is therefore warranted.

What the Canadian public (mis)understands about eyes and eye care

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Inadequate public knowledge about eyes and eye care poses avoidable risks to vision-related quality of life.

BACKGROUND

This study of eye care knowledge among Canadians extends earlier findings from focus groups.

METHODS

Perceptions about eyes and eye care were sought using a 21-item online survey and snowball sampling. Inclusion criteria were living in Canada and being at least 18-years old; eye care professionals and staff were excluded. Response frequencies were converted to percentages, with eye condition items analysed according to 'expected' or 'unexpected' eye impacts. Proportions selecting these impacts or 'unsure' were determined.

RESULTS

There were 424 respondents: 83.0% aged 20-65 years and 69.6% female. Mismatches existed between perceived recommendations and behaviours for booking eye exams: within two years (86.7% vs. 68.4%) and symptom-driven (3.3% vs. 13.0%). First eye exams after age one year were deemed appropriate by 43.6%. Few respondents associated glaucoma with no symptoms (6.0%) or amblyopia with blurred vision (13.5%). A notable proportion incorrectly related tunnel vision with age-related macular degeneration (AMD, 36.8%) and cataract (21.9%). Identifying all 'expected' responses was unlikely for glaucoma (1.9%), amblyopia (6.7%), and cataract (12.0%). Most respondents identified no 'expected' effects for glaucoma (63.8%) and AMD (46.2%) and some 'expected' effects for cataract (59.5%) and amblyopia (72.6%). Selecting 'unsure' was 9-10 times more common among respondents choosing no 'expected' impacts than those choosing some. Awareness of thyroid-associated eye disease was lowest (32.4%) of seven conditions. Respondents were most likely to consult optometrists for routine eye exams, eye disease, diabetes eye checks and blurred vision but family physicians for red eyes and sore eyes. Respondents typically paid for their eye exams and eyewear but wanted government to pay.

CONCLUSION

Vision-threatening knowledge gaps and misinformation about eyes and eye care among Canadian respondents highlight the need for accessible, targeted public education.

Strabismus and amblyopia in Africa - a systematic review and meta-analysis

The objective of this review was to estimate the prevalence of strabismus and amblyopia in Africa. A systematic online literature search was conducted for articles on strabismus and amblyopia in Africa. Meta-analysis was performed, using the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation, to estimate the prevalence of strabismus and amblyopia in Africa. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to age, gender, study year, and type of amblyopia. Meta-regression was used to evaluate the influence of predetermined factors on the prevalence of amblyopia. 8 (1 population-based & 7 school-based) and 21 (3 population-based & 18 school-based) studies on strabismus and amblyopia with sample sizes of 22,355 and 46,841, respectively, were included in the review. Overall prevalence of strabismus in Africa was estimated to be 0.8% (95% CI: 0.4% - 1.4%); exotropia was 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1% - 0.5%) and esotropia was 0.5% (95% CI: 0.1% - 1.2%). Overall prevalence of amblyopia was estimated to be 0.6% (95% CI: 0.3% - 0.9%); refractive and strabismic amblyopia were 1.1% (95% CI: 0.2% - 2.5%) and 0.4% (95% CI: 0.2% - 0.6%), respectively. Prevalence estimate of amblyopia in males was 1.8% (95% CI: 0.7% - 3.3%) and in females was 1.3% (95% CI: 0.4% - 2.6%). There was a significant association between the prevalence of amblyopia and the type of amblyopia (p = .007) and the study year (p = .006). Although there appears to be a relatively low prevalence of strabismus and amblyopia in Africa, there is a dearth of well-designed population-based studies on strabismus and amblyopia in Africa, resulting in the lack of epidemiological information on strabismus and amblyopia within the general African population. Information about the prevalence of strabismus and amblyopia across Africa can inform policy making and design and implementation of public health intervention program.

Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Pediatric Ocular Diseases

Vision is an important aspect of a child's quality of life and intellectual, social, and emotional development. Disruptions to vision during infancy and early childhood can cause lifelong vision impairment or blindness. However, early identification and treatment of eye disease can prevent loss of sight and its consequent long-term effects. Therefore, screening guidelines exist to guide physicians in detecting the most common threats to sight in the different stages of infancy and childhood. This review describes common causes of pediatric vision impairment, the recommended screening guidelines for diagnosing them, and current treatment modalities.

Genetic causal inference between amblyopia and perinatal factors

Amblyopia is a common visual disorder that causes significant vision problems globally. Most non-ocular risk factors for amblyopia are closely related to the intrauterine environment, and are strongly influenced by parent-origin effects. Parent-origin perinatal factors may have a direct causal inference on amblyopia development; therefore, we investigated the causal association between perinatal factors and amblyopia risk using a one-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) with data from the UK Biobank Cohort Data (UKBB). Four distinct MR methods were employed to analyze the association between three perinatal factors (birth weight [BW], maternal smoking, and breastfeeding) and amblyopia risk, based on the summary statistics of genome-wide association studies in the European population. The inverse variance weighting method showed an inverse causal association between BW and amblyopia risk (odds ratio, 0.48 [95% CI, 0.29-0.80]; p = 0.004). Maternal smoking and breastfeeding were not causally associated with amblyopia risk. Our findings provided a possible evidence of a significant genetic causal association between low BW and increased amblyopia risk. This evidence may highlight the potential of BW as a predictive factor for visual maldevelopment and the need for careful management of amblyopia risk in patients with low BW.

Refraction development in anisometropic amblyopia with patching therapy

PURPOSE

To investigate the development of refraction in anisometropic amblyopia who had been with patching therapy.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 37,528 medical records of the amblyopes who had been treated with patching therapy between July 2003 and January 2020 at the School of Optometry and Ophthalmology and Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. We included unilateral anisometropic amblyopia with a follow-up length of not < 2 years. In total, 371 cases were enrolled and followed up for a mean of 4.76 ± 2.11 years. The subjects were then divided into different groups and periods according to their initial spherical equivalent (SE) refractive error and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of the amblyopic eye. Linear mixed-effects models were fitted to calculate the annual change of SE.

RESULTS

The annual changes in SE were -0.32 (-0.35 to -0.30) and -0.16 (-0.19 to -0.14) D/yr for the amblyopic eye and the fellow eye, respectively. The annual changes in SE of amblyopic eyes during the treatment period and the successfully treated period were -0.36 (-0.43 to -0.29; 95% CI) and -0.27 (-0.32 to -0.23; 95% CI) D/yr, respectively; the annual SE changes of the fellow eye during the treatment period and the successfully-treated period were -0.07 (-0.14 to -0.01; 95% CI) and -0.18 (-0.22 to -0.14; 95% CI) D/yr, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The amblyopic eye experienced a significantly greater degree of refractive error changes than the fellow eye and underwent a continuous refractive error reduction before and after 7 years old. After the patching therapy was terminated, emmetropization in the amblyopic eye remained synchronized, whereas the refractive error change was increased in the fellow eye.

Clinical Practice and the Attitude of Ophthalmologists Regarding Amblyopia in the Population of Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aim The study was aimed at finding out the knowledge and attitude among ophthalmologists regarding amblyopia in the population of Jordan. Methodology This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted in 2021 among ophthalmologists who live and work in the local society of Jordan and were aged between 30 and 50 years. The survey was conducted using an online questionnaire administered through email and various social media platforms. The level of knowledge and awareness of amblyopia, its causes, methods of treatment, and the best age for treating amblyopia was assessed. Results Out of 200 participants, the majority were in the age group of 30-34 years (47.5%). The male:female ratio was 1:1. The average better age for examination and treatment of amblyopia was three to five years (46%). The most common cause of amblyopia was strabismic amblyopia (50%). Children's and parents' cooperation most significantly influenced the treatment's success (49%). The preferred assessment was cycloplegic refraction (56%), and the preferred patching treatment was a direct cover placed over the eye (77%). The average time to treat amblyopia was less than three years in the majority (53.5%). The most critical factor determining the success of treatment was when the treatment began (57.5%). Conclusions Our study found that although the majority of the participants were less experienced overall, they had a good knowledge of the amblyopia age group and the method of examination. Still, there was a mixed response regarding the treatment. Hence there is a need to increase awareness regarding amblyopia by Jordanian ophthalmologists, social organizations, and educational institutes.

Disparities in Vision Health and Eye Care

Significant disparities in vision health and eye care exist. To achieve health equity, we must understand the root causes and drivers of health disparities and inequities, including social determinants of health and systemic racism.

A Social Media Listening Study to Understand the Unmet Needs and Quality of Life in Adult and Pediatric Amblyopia Patients

INTRODUCTION

Amblyopia is an important cause of monocular vision impairment worldwide, and it negatively impacts patients' quality of life (QoL). Understanding patients' perspectives may help to optimize treatment outcomes and improve treatment adherence.

METHODS

This was a non-interventional, retrospective analysis of social media data available in the public domain posted by patients and caregivers on selected social media channels (Twitter®, forums, blogs, and news) from 12 countries between July 2018 and June 2020.

RESULTS

Approximately 2662 conversations relevant to the research objective were analyzed. The patient journey for adults and children was constructed based on the conversations. Eyeglasses, eye patches, contact lenses, and vision exercises were the common treatment options for amblyopia. Patients also reported vision improvement with emerging technologies such as digital therapeutics. Amblyopia and its treatment had a negative impact on QoL, and increased caregiver burden. Insurance coverage, long appointment waiting times, and recurring expenses of treatment options were reported as barriers to treatment. Non-compliance, switching between treatment options or technology, or discontinuation of treatment options was found to emanate from various issues including no improvement of the condition, discomfort with the treatment option, bullying, dissatisfaction with healthcare professional (HCP) recommendation, cost of treatment/issues with insurance coverage, side effects, and/or other unspecified reasons. The need for regular eye examinations, better diagnostic tests, awareness of the disease, awareness amongst HCPs about treatment options, and the need for better health insurance coverage policies emerged as unmet needs.

CONCLUSION

This social media listening study generated insights on patients with amblyopia and their caregivers regarding the patient journey, treatment options, reasons for non-compliance, reasons for switching HCPs, barriers to treatment, and unmet needs. Further qualitative research is required to validate the findings.

Comparison of Amblyopia Treatment Effect with Dichoptic Method Using Polarizing Film and Occlusion Therapy Using an Eye Patch

We developed a novel, low-cost, easily administered method that uses a polarizing film to enable dichoptic treatment for amblyopia. In this study, we compared its effects with occlusion therapy using an eye patch. Fifty-eight patients (aged 4.7 ± 1.0 years) diagnosed with anisometric amblyopia were included and instructed to wear complete refractive correction glasses with either occlusion therapy using an eye patch (eye patch group) or dichoptic treatment using polarizing film (polarizing film group) for 2 h per day. We examined the improvement in the visual acuity and compliance rate of the patients 2 months after treatment initiation. After treatment, the polarizing film group showed significant improvement in visual acuity compared with the eye patch group. Moreover, the compliance rate was significantly better in the polarizing film group than in the eye patch group. In both groups, there was a significant correlation between the improvement in visual acuity and compliance rate. This new dichoptic treatment using a polarizing film was shown to be effective for anisometropic amblyopia.

Treatment compliance in amblyopia: A mini-review and description of a novel online platform for compliance tracking

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.

Measuring the impact of suppression on visual acuity in children with amblyopia using a dichoptic visual acuity chart

Purpose

To develop a novel dichoptic visual acuity chart that measures the impact of interocular suppression on the visual acuity of each eye when two eyes are open.

Methods

Fifty-four subjects (19 anisometropic amblyopia, 20 treated amblyopia, and 15 normal children) participated in this study. The visual acuity that was tested under dichoptic-optotypes condition (i.e., presented optotypes to the untested eye) was compared with that under monocular condition (i.e., cover the untested eye with opaque patch). Visual acuity differences between these two conditions were compared among the three groups. The correlations between visual acuity differences and the depth of interocular suppression were then computed. Some participants performed the visual acuity test under dichoptic-luminance condition (i.e., presented mean luminance to the untested eye), and the test-retest reliability was established.

Results

A reduced visual acuity of the non-dominant eye was found in the dichoptic-optotypes condition for the amblyopia group (P &lt; 0.001) and the treated group (P = 0.001); the difference in the treated group was less than that in the amblyopia group (P &lt; 0.001) but more than that in the normal group (P = 0.026). A significant correlation was found between the visual acuity differences and the depth of suppression, which was tested with a binocular phase combination task (P = 0.005). No change was found in the dichoptic-luminance condition.

Conclusion

The amblyopic eye and the previous amblyopic eye seem to suffer from a reduced visual acuity when two eyes are open due to suppression. This was successfully captured by our novel and reliable dichoptic-optotypes visual acuity chart.

Efficacy of 0.01% atropine for myopia control in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial depends on baseline electroretinal response

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of 18-month 0.01% atropine in 61 myopic children (aged 7–10) and the relationship with central retinal response (by multifocal electroretinogram [mfERG]) in a double-masked randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Global-flash mfERG was measured at baseline, while cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) and axial length (AL) were measured at baseline and at 6-month intervals. Annualized change in SER and AL were compared between atropine and control groups, and the relationships with baseline mfERG were evaluated. Changes in SER (−0.70 ± 0.39D vs. −0.66 ± 0.41D, p = 0.63) and AL (0.32 ± 0.16 mm vs. 0.30 ± 0.22 mm, p = 0.52) were similar in atropine and control groups. Interestingly, in the placebo group, mfERG amplitude was negatively correlated with axial elongation (R_p = −0.44, p = 0.03) as in our previous study. However, in the atropine group, an opposite trend was observed that axial elongation was positively correlated with mfERG amplitude (R_a = 0.37, p = 0.04). Annualized myopia progression demonstrated similar opposite effect between atropine and placebo groups but did not reach statistical significance. An ERG screening protocol may be warranted to identify suitable candidates to reduce the likelihood of an unfavorable treatment response by 0.01% atropine.

Vision Impairment among Children in South India: Results from a Large-Scale School Eye Screening

PURPOSE

To provide the prevalence of vision impairment and blindness among 250,000 school children aged 6 to 17 years, screened in Tamil Nadu, India.

METHODS

The study was conducted between 2016 and 2019 as a part of the school eye screening program in Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu. The clinical examination included basic vision testing, objective refraction, subjective acceptance, spectacle dispensing, and a posterior segment evaluation. The prevalence of vision impairment, blindness, low vision, and the association with other demographic variables using logistic regression were calculated.

RESULTS

A total of 250,052 children were screened in 1047 schools and the prevalence of vision impairment, blindness, and low vision in Kanchipuram district was 3.83%, 0.01%, 0.19%, respectively. The major causes for vision impairment, blindness, and low vision were refractive errors (3.05%), high myopia (0.002%), and refractive amblyopia (0.04%), respectively. Vision impairment was significantly associated with urban location (OR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.36-1.48, p < .0001), females (OR = 1.11, 95%CI - 1.08-1.15, p < .0001), private schools (OR = 2.43, 95%CI - 2.35-2.42, p < .0001), higher secondary class grade (OR = 1.69, 95%CI - 1.61-1.77, p = .001), high-school class grade (OR = 1.65, 95%CI - 1.58-1.72, p = .001) and middle school class grade (OR = 1.53, 95%CI - 1.47-1.59, p = .001).

CONCLUSION

This large-scale school eye screening reports a comparatively lower prevalence of vision impairment, blindness, and low vision when compared to other studies conducted around the world. Although the overall prevalence is relatively low, the causes are mostly refractive. Urban, female, private school-going children aged 11-17 are at higher risk.

Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of the NEIVATECH virtual reality system to improve visual function in children with anisometropic amblyopia

BACKGROUND

Interest in developing alternative methods for the treatment of amblyopia has long been a topic of interest among clinicians and researchers, as prescribed occlusion and penalization therapies do not always provide an effective response and are associated with a high risk of recurrence and non-compliance. Here, we present the protocol of a small-scale RCT to evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of a novel VR-based system designed to provide binocular vision training to children with anisometropic amblyopia.

METHODS

We aim to recruit a total of 60 children with anisometropic amblyopia aged 5-17 years with no previous treatment for amblyopia other than refractive correction from the pediatric ophthalmology units of the University Clinical Hospital of Valladolid and the Vithas Medimar International Hospital of Alicante. Children who meet the eligibility criteria and consent to participate will be randomly assigned to a three-month intervention group of 18 half-hour in-office therapy sessions with the NEIVATECH system (group A) or to a parallel group receiving 2 hours of conventional patching per day at home for the same period of time (group B). Assessments of visual function will be carried out before the intervention and at 1, 2 and 3 months, with changes in distance BCVA being the primary outcome measure to be considered. Patient safety, compliance, satisfaction and acceptance to treatment will also be assessed after therapy as other valuable outcome measures. In addition, a rsfMRI scan will be performed on a subgroup of 5 patients from each group at the pre-intervention visit and at the post-intervention visit to test the effects of both therapies on neural plasticity in the visual cortex.

DISCUSSION

The NEIVATECH system has been conceived as a serious game designed to provide binocular vision training to anisometropic amblyopic children by complementing the concepts of perceptual learning, dichoptic training and gamification in an immersive VR environment. We hope that this novel approach may lead to greater improvements in vision performance than those provided so far by conventional patching in anisometropic amblyopic children.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This protocol was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT04819386 ) on 29 March 2021.

Real-World Visual Outcomes of Laser and Anti-VEGF Treatments for Retinopathy of Prematurity

PURPOSE

To characterize visual outcomes in children screened for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

DESIGN

Retrospective, interventional case series.

METHODS

Patients who received ROP screening examinations at UCLA Medical Centers and were followed with outpatient eye examinations at Stein Eye Institute and/or Doheny Eye Institute (Los Angeles, California) were included. Data were collected on birth characteristics, worst type of ROP, and ROP treatment. Adverse visual outcomes included myopia, strabismus, amblyopia, macular dragging, and optic atrophy. Snellen visual acuity was reported for children 4 years and older.

RESULTS

A total of 175 infants (350 eyes) were included for analysis (mean gestational age = 28.2 weeks and birth weight = 1059 g) from a screening population of 539 infants (1078 eyes, 32.4% follow-up) over a 9-year period. Fifteen eyes received primary anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy, whereas 59 eyes received primary laser therapy. Primary anti-VEGF therapy, as compared with primary laser treatment, was associated with a decreased incidence of amblyopia (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.6-0.86, P < .0001) after controlling for gestational age and birth weight. The rates of optic atrophy (P = .79), strabismus (P = .98), and myopia (P = .93) were not different between anti-VEGF and laser treatment groups. Infants receiving anti-VEGF therapy had more posterior disease than laser-treated infants (P = .041). Infants receiving laser therapy were more likely to have severe myopia (aOR = 1.02-1.3, P = .023), amblyopia (aOR = 1.12-1.61, P = .002), and optic atrophy (aOR = 1.01-1.32, P = .045) than infants not treated.

CONCLUSION

These findings add to the advantages of anti-VEGF treatment compared with primary laser treatment, particularly in posterior ROP.

The Impact of Early Photoscreening on Medium-term Visual Acuity: A Population-Based Study

PURPOSE

To analyze the outcomes of an early ophthalmological intervention in children included in the pilot project of the "Rastreio de Saúde Visual Infantil" (RSVI) visual screening program in Portugal.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of the medical records of all children included in the RSVI from April 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016, and who were referred to an ophthalmology appointment. Data of refractive errors, anisometropia, amblyopia, instituted treatments, and visual acuity at the end of the ophthalmological intervention were collected.

RESULTS

Two hundred sixty-seven (18.2%) 2-year-old children from the Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto reference area had a positive screening result and were subsequently referred to an ophthalmology appointment. Glasses were prescribed to 31.1% of the patients who attended. Presumed amblyopia was diagnosed in 2.5% and occlusion was prescribed. At the end of a median follow-up of 3 years, of those who wore glasses without occlusion, 94.3% had a visual acuity of 20/25 or better in both eyes with an asymmetry of two lines or less between eyes. Of the 4 children who wore glasses with occlusion, 3 of them had a visual acuity of 20/25 or better in both eyes with an asymmetry of two lines or less between eyes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an early intervention in the prevention and treatment of amblyopia, because after a median follow-up of 3 years after treatment none of the referred children met criteria for amblyopia and 94.3% of the referred children who had an intervention had a normal visual acuity. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 20XX;X(X):XX-XX.].

Abnormal effective connectivity in visual cortices underlies stereopsis defects in amblyopia

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Abnormal effective connectivity inherent stereopsis defects in amblyopia was studied.

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A weakened connection from V2v to LO2 relates to stereopsis defects in amblyopia.

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Higher-order visual cortices may serve as key nodes to the stereopsis defects.

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An independent longitudinal dataset was used to validate the obtained results.

The neural basis underlying stereopsis defects in patients with amblyopia remains unclear, which hinders the development of clinical therapy. This study aimed to investigate visual network abnormalities in patients with amblyopia and their associations with stereopsis function. Spectral dynamic causal modeling methods were employed for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to investigate the effective connectivity (EC) among 14 predefined regions of interest in the dorsal and ventral visual pathways. We adopted two independent datasets, including a cross-sectional and a longitudinal dataset. In the cross-sectional dataset, we compared group differences in EC between 31 patients with amblyopia (mean age: 26.39 years old) and 31 healthy controls (mean age: 25.71 years old) and investigated the association between EC and stereoacuity. In addition, we explored EC changes after perceptual learning in a novel longitudinal dataset including 9 patients with amblyopia (mean age: 15.78 years old). We found consistent evidence from the two datasets indicating that the aberrant EC from V2v to LO2 is crucial for the stereoscopic deficits in the patients with amblyopia: it was weaker in the patients than in the controls, showed a positive linear relationship with the stereoscopic function, and increased after perceptual learning in the patients. In addition, higher-level dorsal (V3d, V3A, and V3B) and ventral areas (LO1 and LO2) were important nodes in the network of abnormal ECs associated with stereoscopic deficits in the patients with amblyopia. Our research provides insights into the neural mechanism underlying stereopsis deficits in patients with amblyopia and provides candidate targets for focused stimulus interventions to enhance the efficacy of clinical treatment for the improvement of stereopsis deficiency.

Characteristics of responders to atropine 0.01% as treatment in Asian myopic children

Recently, low-concentration atropine (0.01%) has gained increased attention in controlling myopia progression with satisfying effects and minimal side effects. However, studies concerning responders to 0.01% atropine are limited. This retrospective observational cohort study aimed to determine the responder characteristics of 0.01% atropine in Asian children. One hundred forty children (aged between 3 and 15 years) receiving 0.01% atropine were analyzed for the factors influencing annual spherical equivalent changes (SE). The mean age was 9.13 (2.6) years, the mean baseline SE was - 1.56 (1.52) diopters (D), and the mean annual SE change was - 0.52 (0.49) D. A 58.63% responder rate (146/249) of myopic control was achieved with 0.01% atropine in our entire cohort under the criteria of less than 0.5 D of myopic progression annually. The subjects were stratified into 4 subgroups based on a cut-off point of baseline SE of - 1.5 D and baseline age of 9 years. The responder rate differed significantly with the highest being the youngest with the lowest myopia subgroups. Our results demonstrated that children with myopia better than - 1.5 D and younger than 9 years had the highest potential to achieve successful myopic control under 0.01% atropine therapy.