Researchers from the Retina Foundation Foundation in Texas has developed and tested a new method of treatment of amblyopia using the iPad. For this purpose we used an adventure game for free split image for each eye.
Amblyopia is a common condition in which one eye is almost entirely not involved in the visual process. Usually treated with a patch over the healthy eye where the other eye is forced to pick up the load. However, this method does not always lead to full restoration of vision.
For testing a new method for the correction of amblyopia scientists have developed a game for the iPad, which distributes between the eyes visual load due to the contrast of the elements. The game uses bright red (high contrast), pale blue and grey elements. To play you need glasses with lenses filters. They are made so that the red color which is marked as the main character and his opponents, he sees only the “lazy” eye, blue items see healthy eyes, and the gray elements are seen in both eyes. Red elements — characters and enemies in the game — are essential to the plot.
In testing the methods of treatment involved 28 children with amblyopia. Their average age was 7 years. Children were divided into two groups. One was for two weeks to play the game on the iPad for an hour a day, five days a week. The other group lazy eye was covered with bandage. According to the results of the two-week course in 5 of the 14 children who were playing in the game, there was a marked improvement of vision. In the group, wore armbands, the same improvement was recorded only in one child.
Modern therapeutic methods of treatment of amblyopia is based on the effect of neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to build new connections depending on experiences and information. One of such treatments is to demonstrate on a computer monitor different images with the addition of the Gabor patches. These images need to look “lazy eye”, while the normal eye should be closed. On average, this method for three months allows you to achieve a better vision on the 2.5 row.
