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A randomized trial of patching regimens for treatment of moderate amblyopia in children
Michael X Repka1, Roy W Beck, Jonathan M Holmes
1Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, FL 33613, USA. rbeck@jaeb.org
Insights
For children aged 3-7 with moderate amblyopia, 2 hours of daily patching combined with near visual activities showed similar visual acuity improvement compared to 6 hours of patching.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Clinical Trials
Background:
- Amblyopia, or 'lazy eye', is a common cause of reduced vision in children.
- Current treatments often involve patching the stronger eye to improve vision in the weaker (amblyopic) eye.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the effectiveness of 2 hours versus 6 hours of daily patching for treating moderate amblyopia in children younger than 7 years.
- To assess visual acuity outcomes after 4 months of treatment.
Main Methods:
- A randomized multicenter clinical trial involving 189 children (aged 3-7 years) with moderate amblyopia (visual acuity 20/40 to 20/80).
- Participants were assigned to either 2 or 6 hours of daily patching, combined with at least 1 hour of near visual activities during patching.
- The primary outcome measure was visual acuity in the amblyopic eye after 4 months.
Main Results:
- Both 2-hour and 6-hour patching groups showed similar average improvements in visual acuity of 2.40 lines after 4 months (P =.98).
- At 4 months, 62% of patients in each group achieved a visual acuity of at least 20/32 and/or a 3-line improvement from baseline (P>.99).
Conclusions:
- Two hours of daily patching, when combined with 1 hour of near visual activities, is as effective as 6 hours of daily patching for treating moderate amblyopia in young children.
- This finding suggests a potentially less burdensome treatment regimen for pediatric amblyopia without compromising visual outcomes.
Objective:
To compare 2 hours vs 6 hours of daily patching as treatments for moderate amblyopia in children younger than 7 years.
Methods:
In a randomized multicenter (35 sites) clinical trial, 189 children younger than 7 years with amblyopia in the range of 20/40 to 20/80 were assigned to receive either 2 hours or 6 hours of daily patching combined with at least 1 hour per day of near visual activities during patching.Main Outcome Measure Visual acuity in the amblyopic eye after 4 months.
Results:
Visual acuity in the amblyopic eye improved a similar amount in both groups. The improvement in the visual acuity of the amblyopic eye from baseline to 4 months averaged 2.40 lines in each group (P =.98). The 4-month visual acuity was at least 20/32 and/or improved from baseline by 3 or more lines in 62% of patients in each group (P>.99).
Conclusion:
When combined with prescribing 1 hour of near visual activities, 2 hours of daily patching produces an improvement in visual acuity that is of similar magnitude to the improvement produced by 6 hours of daily patching in treating moderate amblyopia in children aged 3 to 7 years.