title: Preliminary results from the use of the novel Interactive binocular treatment (I-BiT) system, in the treatment of strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We have developed a novel application of adapted virtual reality (VR) technology, for the binocular treatment of amblyopia. We describe the use of the system in six children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects consisted of three conventional treatment 'failures' and three conventional treatment 'refusers', with a mean age of 6.25 years (5.42-7.75 years). Treatment consisted of watching video clips and playing interactive games with specifically designed software to allow streamed binocular image presentation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initial vision in the amblyopic eye ranged from 6/12 to 6/120 and post-treatment 6/7.5 to 6/24-1. Total treatment time was a mean of 4.4 h. Five out of six children have shown an improvement in their vision (average increase of 10 letters), including those who had previously failed to comply with conventional occlusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improvements in vision were demonstrable within a short period of time, in some children after 1 h of treatment. This system is an exciting and promising application of VR technology as a new treatment for amblyopia.
authors.affiliation: Directorate of Ophthalmology, A Floor, Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Centre, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK. epxpes@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Waddingham
authors.forename: T K H
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Cobb
authors.forename: A D R
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Moody
authors.forename: I F
authors.initials: IF
authors.lastname: Comaish
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Haworth
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gregson
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Ash
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Eastgate
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Griffiths
mesh_terms: D000550:Amblyopia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015858:Anisometropia / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003196:Computer Graphics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D013285:Strabismus / Q000150:complications; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015348:Vision, Binocular; D014792:Visual Acuity