OBSERVATION OF BINOCULAR VISUAL FUNCTION FOLLOWING A DIGITAL GAMING-BASED THERAPY PROGRAM IN YOUNG CHILDREN

This study aimed to evaluate changes and improvements in binocular visual function following the application of a digital therapy program based on gaming in young children.

Thirty preschool children from Kindergarten D in Cheonan, Korea, without systemic or ocular diseases and strabismus, were recruited. Participants underwent a digital visual training program at a viewing distance of 80 cm using a monitor, including the Digital Lifesaver Test, SCCO(Southern California College of Optometry) Oculomotor Test, Turn Table Test, and Wayne Intermittent Test.

Digital therapy program training was performed daily for 15 minutes either in the laboratory or at home over a two-week period. Binocular visual function before and after near-work training was assessed using visual acuity, refraction, horizontal phoria, fixation disparity, accommodative facility, stereopsis, and accommodative amplitude tests. All tests were conducted with full-distance refractive correction. Horizontal phoria was measured using the von Graefe method, fixation disparity was assessed using a pen tip as a target, accommodative amplitude via push-up method, and accommodative facility using ±2.00 D flippers over one minute.

Pre-training horizontal phoria measurements showed 16 participants with 3–8∆ exophoria, 9 with orthophoria, and 5 with ≤1.5∆ esophoria. Following the 15-minute training, the most notable changes in binocular visual function were observed in fixation disparity, accommodative amplitude, and accommodative facility. The mean fixation disparity decreased from 13 cm to 11 cm, and the accommodative amplitude improved from 8.3 D to 10 D. Participants with pre-training exophoria showed a reduction in exophoric deviation and improvement in both fixation and accommodative points after training.

Digital therapy programs can induce measurable changes in binocular visual function in children with both exophoria and esophoria, particularly improving fixation disparity and accommodative amplitude. Further studies are required to objectively and scientifically validate the efficacy of digital programs in enhancing binocular vision.