Efficacy of vision therapy for unilateral refractive amblyopia in children aged 7-10 years
Yi-Ching Hsieh1, Wen-Ling Liao2,3, Yi-Yu Tsai1,4
1Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Center, China Medical University Hospital, No. 2, Yude Road, Taichung, Taiwan.
Insights
Binocular vision therapy significantly improves visual acuity in children aged 7-10 with amblyopia. This combined approach offers greater vision gain and shorter treatment duration compared to conventional methods alone.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
- Neuroscience of Vision
Background:
- The critical period for visual development typically ends by age 6, with reduced treatment responsiveness in older children.
- Amblyopia, or 'lazy eye,' affects visual development and is conventionally treated with patching and optical correction.
- Older children (7-10 years) with amblyopia often show limited improvement with standard treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of binocular vision therapy in amblyopic children aged 7-10 years.
- To compare the effectiveness of vision therapy combined with conventional treatment versus conventional treatment alone.
- To determine if vision therapy can enhance visual acuity gains in older children with amblyopia.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study involving 36 children with unilateral amblyopia.
- Participants were divided into a case group (vision therapy, optical correction, part-time patching) and a control group (optical correction, part-time patching).
- Visual acuity (VA) was measured at baseline, 3, 6, 9 months, and 3 months post-treatment cessation.
Main Results:
- The case group showed a significant improvement in mean VA from 0.39 to 0.10 logMAR (p < 0.001).
- The control group showed a significant improvement in mean VA from 0.64 to 0.52 logMAR (p = 0.015).
- The VA improvement was significantly greater in the case group (p = 0.006), with no regression observed post-therapy.
Conclusions:
- Binocular vision therapy, when combined with optical correction and patching, is more effective for treating unilateral refractive amblyopia in children aged 7-10 years.
- This combined approach leads to greater visual acuity gains and a shorter treatment period.
- Vision therapy offers a valuable therapeutic option for older children with amblyopia, extending treatment benefits beyond the traditional critical period.
Background:
There is a critical period for visual development, conventionally considered to be the first 6 years of life. Children aged 7 years and older are significantly less responsive to amblyopia treatment. This study investigated the efficacy of binocular vision therapy in amblyopic children aged 7-10 years.
Methods:
This retrospective study enrolled 36 children with unilateral amblyopia who were divided into a case group (receiving vision therapy, optical correction, and part-time patching of the weaker eye) and a control group (receiving optical correction and part-time patching of the weaker eye). Visual acuity (VA) was measured at baseline, at the 3-month, 6-month, and 9-month visits, and 3 months after cessation of treatment.
Results:
There were 19 subjects in the case group and 17 subjects in the control group. Mean VA in the case group improved from 0.39 ± 0.24 logMAR at baseline to 0.10 ± 0.23 logMAR at the endpoint of treatment (p < 0.001, paired t-test). Mean VA in the control group improved from 0.64 ± 0.30 logMAR at baseline to 0.52 ± 0.27 logMAR at the endpoint of treatment (p = 0.015, paired t-test). The improvement was significantly greater in the case group than in the control group (p = 0.006, two-samples independent t-test). All subjects underwent follow-up examinations within 6 to 12 months. There was no regression of VA in the case group 3 months after cessation of vision therapy. The patients in the case group who received visual therapy were with better VA improvement then patients with only optic correction and patching.
Conclusions:
Vision therapy combined with conventional treatment (optical correction and part-time patching) is more effective than conventional treatment alone in children aged 7-10 years with unilateral refractive amblyopia. The treatment results not only in greater vision gain, but also in shorter duration of treatment.
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