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Randomized trial of treatment of amblyopia in children aged 7 to 17 years
Mitchell M Scheiman1, Richard W Hertle, Roy W Beck
1Jaeb Center for Health Research, Tampa, FL 33647, USA. pedig@jaeb.org
Insights
Patching and atropine significantly improved vision in younger children (7-12) with amblyopia. Older adolescents (13-17) showed benefits only if previously untreated, highlighting age-specific amblyopia treatment effectiveness.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Vision Science
Background:
- Amblyopia, or "lazy eye," affects visual development in children.
- Effective treatment strategies for older children and adolescents remain an area of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of amblyopia treatment in children aged 7 to 17 years.
- To compare combined patching and atropine therapy with optical correction alone.
Main Methods:
- 507 patients with amblyopia (visual acuity 20/40 to 20/400) received optical correction.
- Randomization to either a treatment group (patching, near activities, atropine for younger) or optical correction alone.
- Response defined as a ≥2-line improvement in visual acuity by 24 weeks.
Main Results:
- In 7-12 year olds, 53% of the treatment group responded vs. 25% in the control group (P<.001).
- In 13-17 year olds, overall response rates were similar (25% vs. 23%), but higher in the treatment group if previously untreated (47% vs. 20%, P=.03).
- Most patients retained some visual deficit post-treatment.
Conclusions:
- Optical correction alone improves amblyopia in about 25% of patients aged 7-17.
- Combined therapy is effective for 7-12 year olds, even with prior treatment.
- For 13-17 year olds, treatment is beneficial for previously untreated cases; long-term outcomes require further study.
Objective:
To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment of amblyopia in children aged 7 to 17 years.
Methods:
At 49 clinical sites, 507 patients with amblyopic eye visual acuity ranging from 20/40 to 20/400 were provided with optimal optical correction and then randomized to a treatment group (2-6 hours per day of prescribed patching combined with near visual activities for all patients plus atropine sulfate for children aged 7 to 12 years) or an optical correction group (optical correction alone). Patients whose amblyopic eye acuity improved 10 or more letters (> or =2 lines) by 24 weeks were considered responders.
Results:
In the 7- to 12-year-olds (n = 404), 53% of the treatment group were responders compared with 25% of the optical correction group (P<.001). In the 13- to 17-year-olds (n = 103), the responder rates were 25% and 23%, respectively, overall (adjusted P = .22) but 47% and 20%, respectively, among patients not previously treated with patching and/or atropine for amblyopia (adjusted P = .03). Most patients, including responders, were left with a residual visual acuity deficit.
Conclusions:
Amblyopia improves with optical correction alone in about one fourth of patients aged 7 to 17 years, although most patients who are initially treated with optical correction alone will require additional treatment for amblyopia. For patients aged 7 to 12 years, prescribing 2 to 6 hours per day of patching with near visual activities and atropine can improve visual acuity even if the amblyopia has been previously treated. For patients 13 to 17 years, prescribing patching 2 to 6 hours per day with near visual activities may improve visual acuity when amblyopia has not been previously treated but appears to be of little benefit if amblyopia was previously treated with patching. We do not yet know whether visual acuity improvement will be sustained once treatment is discontinued; therefore, conclusions regarding the long-term benefit of treatment and the development of treatment recommendations for amblyopia in children 7 years and older await the results of a follow-up study we are conducting on the patients who responded to treatment.
