AI-Guided Home-Based Therapy for Convergence Insufficiency: A Comparative Feasibility Study with Pencil Push-Ups

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Vision Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Convergence insufficiency (CI) is a common visual disorder causing eye strain and headaches.
• Traditional pencil push-ups (PPU) for CI may have limited effectiveness due to inconsistent adherence.
• MobileS, an AI app, offers guided digital push-ups with real-time feedback and monitoring for CI treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the feasibility of the MobileS app for home-based CI therapy.
• Compare adherence rates between the MobileS app and conventional PPU.
• Assess preliminary clinical signals, including near point of convergence (NPC) and symptom severity, for MobileS compared to PPU.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-five participants with CI were randomized into an App group (n=12) or PPU group (n=13) for 8 weeks of home therapy.
• Near point of convergence (NPC) was measured at baseline, midpoint, and endpoint.
• Adherence was automatically recorded by the app or manually logged; symptom severity was assessed using the CISS.

Main Results:

• The App group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in NPC (p=0.007), while the PPU group did not.
• Recorded adherence was significantly higher in the App group (90.1%) compared to the PPU group (75.4%) (p=0.0069).
• The App group experienced a significant reduction in symptom severity (p=0.049).

Conclusions:

• The MobileS app is a feasible tool for home-based CI management.
• MobileS demonstrated higher adherence and preliminary improvements in NPC compared to PPU.
• Larger studies are required to confirm efficacy, especially for symptom reduction, and to guide teleophthalmology implementation.