Amblyopia Library

Welcome to the Amblyopia Library. The place for doctors and patients to learn more about advanced treatment in Amblyopia care.

Amblyopia is a treatable, neurodevelopmental form of vision loss. It is caused when there is a disruption in binocular vision in infancy/toddlerhood either by misalignment of the eyes (also known as strabismus), or when one eye has a greater farsightedness/nearsightedness and/or astigmatism, or blockage of light, such as infantile cataracts. It typically occurs in one eye (but can occur in both eyes) even when best corrected with glasses or contacts.

Those with Amblyopia will have reduced eye sight varying from:
  • Mild: (<20/25-20/40)
  • Moderate: (20/50-20/80)
  • Severe: (Worse than 20/100)
Equally important but often overlooked, those with Amblyopia have:
  • A deficiency in “binocular vision” which results in impaired depth perception
  • Poorer eye-hand coordination
  • Trouble with tripping and being accident prone
  • Deficits in visual information processing
  • Trouble with micro eye movement and reduced reading speed and comprehension
SOURCE: AMBLYOPIA AND REAL-WORLD VISUOMOTOR TASKS
It is more common than you may think.

Over 12 million people in the US alone are affected (about 3.5% of the US population).

It is preventable if the factors causing it are identified and treated in infancy or early toddlerhood, but it can be treated at any age.

Prentice Award Lecture 2011: Removing the Brakes on Plasticity in the Amblyopic Brain
The Standard Treatment for Amblyopia typically involves occlusion therapy of the non-amblyopic eye with:
  • Option A:  Patching
  • Option B:  Atropine Drops

Though very low cost, research shows these treatments have many limitations and negative side effects.

Research Shows There Are Consequences To Standard Treatment.

With patching or Atropine drops, there are consequences:

Visual

  • Eye sight improves, but even with good compliance, will often regress when discontinued
  • Patching does not treat the underlying binocular vision problem
  • Overall this treatment can have poor or marginal results

Emotional

  • Often experiences bullying, teasing, emotional upset, frustration, anger and general unhappiness
  • In need of more parent attention associated with the child’s treatment
SOURCE: AMBLYOPIA’S IMPACT ON QUALITY OF LIFE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW,
Research Shows That Standard Treatment May Not Last

The research suggests:

  • Once discontinued the improvements in eyesight diminish over time
  • It is not as effective past age 10
  • Has many negative side effects including psycho-social and emotional
There is good news! There is an Advanced Treatment that is evidence-based and proven effective for nearly all ages.

The Advanced Treatment:

  • Corrects the binocular vision problem, therefore standard patching/drops is not typically required
  • Has no negative side effects
  • Gives the patient the ability see in 3-D and experience depth perception
  • Results occur much faster
SOURCE: RESTORATION OF BINOCULAR VISION IN AMBLYOPIA
Introducing Binocular Vision Therapy.

Binocular Vision Therapy is a proven effective treatment for amblyopia. It involves office-based optometric vision therapy (along with home orientedactivities) guided by the doctor and vision therapist utilizing devices, prisms, lenses and dichoptic filters to treat the underlying suppression and related developmental vision delays plus help the two eyes to work together.

  • Research

    Find the latest Amblyopia Research

  • Treatment Protocols

    Doctors - find out how to provide your patients with advanced treatment.

  • Patient Resources

    Learn more about Amblyopia and find Doctors that can provide treatment.