COMPUTER BASED PERCEPTUAL VISION THERAPY FOR VISUAL IMPROVEMENT IN AMBLYOPIA

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the Neuro-vision therapy for visual improvement in amblyopic patients

An Exploratory Clinical Trial at the department of Paediatric Ophthalmology in a tertiary Eye Hospital

This Neuro-vision therapy was aimed at improving the brain’s image processing to regain the decline in visual acuity due to amblyopia. Patients were treated for 80 sessions (45 to 90 min each) for a period of 6 months with the program . Unilateral amblyopia with BCVA upto 20/100 and bilateral amblyopia with BCVA upto 20/200 with any amblyogenic background with intact cognition were included for the study. Squint with deviation more than 12 prisms, vision below 6/60 and age more than 60 years were excluded. This is a stand-alone therapy without occlusion therapy. The patients were given a daily program for home training with software. BCVA were recorded using ETDRS chart during each visit

20 patients (28 eyes; 8 bilateral & 12 unilateral) with amblyopia aged above 9 years were recruited. Baseline BSCVA was 36.43 ETDRS letters and significantly improved during months 1,2,3.4,5 and month 6 visits as 39.82, 43.25, 46.11, 48.89, 51.39 and 53.25 respectively (P<.0001).A one way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to evaluate the null hypothesis that there was a change in visual acuity parameters when measured at baseline, Months 1 through 6. The results of the ANOVA for amblyopia indicated a significant time effect, Wilk’s Lambda = 0.109, F (6, 22) = 29.979, p<0.0001

There was significant visual acuity gains in patients with amblyopia on completion of the program. The enhancement of visual process is likely by stimulation of specific neurons in visual cortex, thereby establishing a new neural connection at the synapse level. The improved vision endured for a longer period with this amblyopia management system