An updated review about perceptual learning as a treatment for amblyopia

Antonio Rodán, Elena Candela Marroquín, Laura C Jara García, Antonio Rodán, Elena Candela Marroquín, Laura C Jara García

Abstract

The purpose of our work is to do an update of recent investigations about amblyopia treatment based on perceptual learning, dichoptic training and videogames. Therefore, we conducted a search of the studies published about this subject in the last six years. The review shows that the investigations during that period have used several kinds of treatments regarding their design (e.g., type of stimulus and context used, duration of the training), and in a wider range of age that also include adults. Most of the studies have found an improvement in some mono and binocular visual functions, such as visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and stereopsis, which for now, it seems advisable that these processes could be used, as an alternative or a complement of the traditional passive therapy. Nevertheless, it would be plausible to conduct additional, controlled and random, clinical trials in order to discover in a more deeply way which perceptive learning method of treatment is more effective for the improvement of visual functions and for how long the effects of the treatment could persist.

Keywords: Amblyopia; Dichoptic therapy; Perceptual learning; Videogames.

Copyright © 2020 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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Flow chart for article selection process.

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