Establishing New Treatment Approaches for Amblyopia: Perceptual Learning and Video Games

Nova Southeastern University (NSU)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Amblyopia

Treatments: Behavioral: Perceptual Learning; Behavioral: Video Game Vision Training; Behavioral: Occlusion Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05522972

2022-344

Details and patient eligibility

About

Amblyopia, a developmental abnormality that impairs spatial vision, is a major cause of vision loss, resulting in reduced visual acuity and reduced sensitivity to contrast. This study uses psychophysical measures to study neural plasticity in both adults and children with amblyopia.

Full description

Amblyopia, a developmental abnormality that impairs spatial vision, is a major cause of vision loss, resulting in reduced visual acuity and reduced sensitivity to contrast. Our previous findings (see Publications) show that the adult amblyopic brain is still plastic and malleable, suggesting that active approach is potential useful in treating amblyopia.The goal of this project is to assess the limits and mechanisms of neural plasticity in both normal and amblyopic spatial vision. This study uses psychophysical measures to study neural plasticity in both adults and children with amblyopia. Research participants will be asked to practice a visual discrimination task (perceptual learning) or to play video games with the amblyopic eye for a period of time. A range of visual functions will be monitored during the course of treatment.

Enrollment: 180 estimated patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• adults and children with normal vision or amblyopia
• amblyopia: interocular VA difference of 0.1 logMAR or more

Exclusion criteria

• any ocular pathological conditions, nystagmus

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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180 participants in 3 patient groups

Video Games

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be required to play video games for a period of time: 1-2 hrs per session, 4-5 sessions/week for \~1-6 months

Treatment:

Behavioral: Video Game Vision Training

Perceptual learning

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will be required to practice a visual discrimination task (e.g. visual acuity, position acuity, contrast sensitivity, \& stereoacuity) for a period of time: 1-2 hrs per session, 4-5 sessions/week for \~1-6 months

Treatment:

Behavioral: Perceptual Learning

Occlusion therapy

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants will be required to cover the dominant eye during the day in order to push the brain to use the fellow amblyopic eye: 1-2 hrs per session, 4-5 sessions/week for \~1-6 months

Treatment:

Behavioral: Occlusion Therapy