Visual Training in Anisometropic Amblyopic Children Monitored with Visual Pathfinder System

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: to evaluate the visual acuity improvement provided by Visual Pathfinder (VPF) in children treated with occlusion for amblyopia. Methods: 16 children affected by anisometropic amblyopia were recruited; of these 8 were treated with occlusion and optical correction (group 1) and 8 patients received additional treatment with VPF (group 2). The VPF is a biofeedback system in which the patients look at a monitor TV and the consequent pattern visual evocated potential (VEP) flicker guides the patients to maintain and improve the visual fixation. After a complete ophthalmologic examination and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurements each patient was randomly assigned to occlusion or occlusion and VPF. All patients were re-evaluated after one and three months. The patients of group 2 underwent twice a week, in a session of 20 minutes each, for 12 sessions. The collected data after the first visit, 1 and 3 months were considered for statistical analysis. Results: The mean age was 9.0 +/- 3.1 years. The mean BCVA in group 1 at baseline, at first and at third month was 0.32, 0.53 and 0.85 respectively. The mean BCVA in group 2 at the same time was 0.31, 0.77, and 0.86. The statistical analysis conducted with t-test evidenced a statistically significant difference between the baseline and the first month in each group. These data were confirmed at the end of the study. The patients that underwent VPF showed a faster recovery of the visual function. At first months was evidenced a statistically significant difference between the groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: the occlusive treatment provides an improvement of final visual acuity, but the patients receiving additional treatment with VPF seem recover in a shorter time. A longer follow-up is necessary to confirm the stability of visual function.

Keywords: amblyopia • visual acuity • visual development: infancy and childhood