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Updated: Nov 7, 2025
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The Measurement and Treatment of Suppression in Amblyopia
Published on: December 14, 2012
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Dichoptic Perceptual Training in Children With Amblyopia With or Without Patching History
Xiang-Yun Liu1, Yu-Wei Zhang2, Feng Gao1
1The Affiliated Tengzhou Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Tengzhou, Shandong Province, China.
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
|May 4, 2021
Summary
Dichoptic demasking training significantly improved visual acuity and stereoacuity in children with amblyopia, regardless of prior patching history. These gains, particularly in stereoacuity, suggest improved attentional readout rather than solely reduced interocular suppression.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neuroscience
- Vision Science
Background:
- Amblyopia, or 'lazy eye,' is a developmental disorder affecting visual acuity in one eye.
- Traditional amblyopia treatments like patching have limitations, especially for children unresponsive to them.
- Dichoptic training presents a novel approach by simultaneously presenting different stimuli to each eye.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of dichoptic demasking training in children with amblyopia.
- To compare outcomes in children who never received patching treatment (NPT) versus those previously treated (PT).
Main Methods:
- 14 NPT and 13 PT amblyopic children (6-16.5 years) underwent 17-22 sessions of dichoptic demasking training.
- Training involved discriminating Gabor patches in the amblyopic eye (AE) while masked by noise in the fellow eye (FE).
- Key metrics included maximal tolerable noise contrast (TNC), visual acuities, contrast sensitivity, and Randot stereoacuity.
Main Results:
- Training increased TNC 6-8 fold and improved AE visual acuity by 0.15 logMAR (NPT) and 0.06 logMAR (PT).
- Stereoacuity improved significantly (41.6% in NPT, 64.2% in PT), correlating with pretraining interocular acuity difference.
- Training enhanced AE contrast sensitivity in the NPT group, with learning effects retained for up to 24 months.
Conclusions:
- Dichoptic training effectively improves stereoacuity in amblyopic children, particularly those with milder amblyopia.
- Stereoacuity gains may stem from enhanced stimulus readout and attention, not solely reduced interocular suppression.
- This training offers a promising alternative or adjunct therapy for amblyopia treatment.
