Modified virtual reality technology for treatment of amblyopia

Abstract

Purpose The conventional patching/ occlusion treatment for amblyopia sometimes gives disappointing results for a number of reasons: it is unpopular, prolonged, frequently resulting in poor or noncompliance, and also disrupts fusion. The aim of this research was to develop a novel virtual-reality (VR)-based display system that facilitates the treatment of amblyopia with both eyes stimulated simultaneously. Methods We have adopted a multidisciplinary approach, combining VR expertise with a team of ophthalmologists and orthoptists to develop the Interactive Binocular Treatment (I-BiT TM ) system. This system incorporates adapted VR technology and specially written software providing interactive 2D and 3D games and videos to the patient via a stereo (binocular) display, and a control screen for the clinician. Results We developed a prototype research system designed for treatment of amblyopia in children. Conclusions The result is a novel way to treat amblyopia, which allows binocular treatment. It is interactive, and as it is partially software based, can be adapted to suit the age/ability, and needs of the patient. This means that the treatment can be made captivating and enjoyable. Further research is on-going to determine the efficacy of this new modality in the treatment of amblyopia.

Assessment of a computer-based treatment for older amblyopes: the Glasgow Pilot Study

“…20 Virtual reality invokes a three-dimensional image in those with normal binocular single vision (BSV) by stimulating both eyes simultaneously. The Nottingham study 20 included children with abnormal BSV and suppression, and all of these perceived the images projected to both eyes, but it is not known whether images were perceived in depth. The only technical difference for the current study was in delivering the binocular stimulus via a V8 head-mounted display from Virtual Research (Figure 1).…”

“…A computer-based virtual reality system (interactive binocular treatment (I-BiT) system) has been developed by a multidisciplinary group from the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham and the University of Nottingham, 20 and piloted on amblyopes in both Nottingham 21 and Glasgow. The results for the Glasgow Pilot Study are reported here.…”

A binocular iPad treatment for amblyopic children

“…An interactive binocular treatment, the I-BiT, has also been described. [21][22][23][24] The I-BiT presents equal-contrast central stimuli to the amblyopic eye and peripheral stimuli to the fellow eye. A pilot study on nine children who used the I-BiT for 30 min per week for 6 weeks reported that six had 0.125 logMAR or more improvement in visual acuity but had no control group.…”

Neural mechanisms of recovery following early visual deprivation

“…Second, conventional patching treatment suffers from two major disadvantages: patching frequently fails to achieve good improvement in acuity owing to a lack of compliance and patching by its nature cannot improve binocular cooperation. A recently developed virtual-reality-based display system aims at the treatment of amblyopia by stimulating both eyes simultaneously, using interactive three-dimensional games and videos which are shown to the patient via a stereo display (Eastgate et al 2005). Preliminary results with this system from a group of six children aged 5 to 7 years demonstrated an improvement in acuity in five children after just a few hours of treatment (Waddingham et al 2005).…”