A new clinical trial found that game-based binocular therapy may be as effective as traditional eye patching for treating amblyopia in young pediatric patients, with faster early improvements and higher treatment satisfaction.
In the randomized controlled trial, researchers included 42 patients aged 4 to 8 years diagnosed with amblyopia as a result of refractive errors, strabismus, or both. The participants were randomly assigned to either a gamified binocular therapy group using a home-based digital system or a standard eye patching group. Thirty-seven children completed the 6-month study.
The binocular therapy used a tablet game that presented different images to each eye to promote binocular use. The game automatically adjusted difficulty based on baseline vision and included tasks to improve visual acuity and stereoacuity. The patients used the system twice daily for 30 minutes per session.
In the eye patching group, the patients wore an eye patch over the stronger eye for 90 minutes each day. Caregivers tracked adherence using an online log.
Both groups showed statistically significant visual improvements. After 1 month, those using binocular therapy had greater visual acuity gains compared with those in the eye patching group. By 6 months, improvements were similar: visual acuity in the amblyopic eye improved by 0.19 logMAR in the game group and 0.23 logMAR in the eye patching group, a non–statistically significant difference.
Stereoacuity also improved in both groups at 1, 3, and 6 months, with no statistically significant differences between them.
The patients in the binocular group showed better adherence, completing 98.3% of the recommended training time compared with 86.3% of those in the eye patching group. Satisfaction was higher as well: 81% of the patients in the game group rated the experience highly compared with 61% of those in the eye patching group.
No serious adverse effects were reported. There were no cases of worsened vision, eye strain, or increased eye misalignment.
The researchers noted that early improvements were faster with binocular therapy and attributed better compliance to the game’s automated monitoring features. While both treatments were effective, the gamified approach appeared more engaging for families.
The study was conducted in China. The researchers recommend further research to assess long-term outcomes and effectiveness in broader populations.
Source: Frontiers in Medicine
