An Active Approach to Treat Amblyopia: Perceptual Learning and Video Games

Sponsor

University of California, Berkeley (Other)

Overall Status

Recruiting

CT.gov ID

NCT01115283

Collaborator

National Eye Institute (NEI) (NIH)

Enrollment

Location

Arms

118

Duration (Months)

0.4

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

Amblyopia, a developmental abnormality that impairs spatial vision, is a major cause of vision loss, resulting in reduced visual acuity and reduced sensitivity to contrast. This study uses psychophysical measures to study neural plasticity in both adults and children with amblyopia.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Amblyopia	Behavioral: Perceptual learning Behavioral: Video Games Behavioral: Occlusion therapy	N/A

Detailed Description

Amblyopia, a developmental abnormality that impairs spatial vision, is a major cause of vision loss, resulting in reduced visual acuity and reduced sensitivity to contrast. Our previous findings (see CITATIONS) show that the adult amblyopic brain is still plastic and malleable, suggesting that active approach is potential useful in treating amblyopia. The goal of this project is to assess the limits and mechanisms of neural plasticity in both normal and amblyopic spatial vision. This study uses psychophysical measures to study neural plasticity in both adults and children with amblyopia. Research participants will be asked to practice a visual discrimination task (perceptual learning) or to play video games with the amblyopic eye for a period of time. A range of visual functions will be monitored during the course of treatment.

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Anticipated Enrollment :

50 participants

Allocation:

Randomized

Intervention Model:

Crossover Assignment

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Treatment

Official Title:

Improving Spatial and Temporal Vision in Adult and Juvenile Amblyopia

Study Start Date :

Jul 1, 2015

Anticipated Primary Completion Date :

May 1, 2025

Anticipated Study Completion Date :

May 1, 2025

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Perceptual learning Patients will be asked to practice a range of visual discrimination tasks for a period of time (each therapy session:1-2 hrs, 4-5 sessions/wk for ~1-6 months).	Behavioral: Perceptual learning Research participants will be asked to practice a visual discrimination task (e.g. position acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity etc) in our laboratory for a period of time (2 hrs/day, 5 days/week). Other Names: vision therapy vision training
Experimental: Occlusion therapy The fellow sound will be covered with a standard eye patch for a period of time (1-2 hrs/day, 4-5 days/wk for ~1-3 months). The idea is to push the brain to use the weaker amblyopic eye.	Behavioral: Occlusion therapy Research participants will be required to cover the good eye during the day in order to push the brain to use the amblyopic eye (2 hrs/day, 5 days/week for 2-4 weeks). Other Names: vision training, vision therapy
Experimental: Video game Patients will be asked to play videogames for a period of time (each therapy session:1-2 hrs, 4-5 sessions/wk for ~1-6 months).	Behavioral: Video Games Research participants will be asked to play "off-the-shelf" video games in our laboratory for a period of time (2 hrs/day, 5 days/week). Other Names: vision therapy vision training

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: Perceptual learning

Patients will be asked to practice a range of visual discrimination tasks for a period of time (each therapy session:1-2 hrs, 4-5 sessions/wk for ~1-6 months).

Behavioral: Perceptual learning

Research participants will be asked to practice a visual discrimination task (e.g. position acuity, contrast sensitivity, stereoacuity etc) in our laboratory for a period of time (2 hrs/day, 5 days/week).

Other Names:

vision therapy

vision training

Experimental: Occlusion therapy

The fellow sound will be covered with a standard eye patch for a period of time (1-2 hrs/day, 4-5 days/wk for ~1-3 months). The idea is to push the brain to use the weaker amblyopic eye.

Behavioral: Occlusion therapy

Research participants will be required to cover the good eye during the day in order to push the brain to use the amblyopic eye (2 hrs/day, 5 days/week for 2-4 weeks).

Other Names:

vision training,

vision therapy

Experimental: Video game

Patients will be asked to play videogames for a period of time (each therapy session:1-2 hrs, 4-5 sessions/wk for ~1-6 months).

Behavioral: Video Games

Research participants will be asked to play "off-the-shelf" video games in our laboratory for a period of time (2 hrs/day, 5 days/week).

Other Names:

vision therapy

vision training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Amblyopic vision [9 months]
Improvement in amblyopic vision : visual acuity and stereoacuity

Secondary Outcome Measures

Spatial vision [9 months]
Improvement in spatial vision (eg. contrast sensitivity, positional acuity and spatial attention)
Temporal vision [9 months]
Improvement in temporal processing and temporal vision

Eligibility Criteria

Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study:

5 Years to 75 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

Yes

Inclusion Criteria:

adults and children (>5 years old) with normal vision or amblyopia
amblyopia: interocular VA difference of at least 0.1 logMAR

Exclusion Criteria:

any ocular pathological conditions, nystagmus

Contacts and Locations

Locations

	Site	City	State	Country	Postal Code
1	Minor Hall 486, School of Optometry, University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley	California	United States	94720

Sponsors and Collaborators

University of California, Berkeley
National Eye Institute (NEI)

Investigators

Principal Investigator: Roger W Li, OD, PhD, School of Optometry, Univeristy of california-Berkeley
Principal Investigator: Dennis M Levi, OD, PhD, School of Optometry, Univerisity of California-Berkeley