Preliminary results from the use of the novel Interactive binocular treatment (I-BiT) system, in the treatment of strabismic and anisometropic amblyopia.
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.
Waddingham
P E
PE
Directorate of Ophthalmology, A Floor, Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Centre, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK. epxpes@nottingham.ac.uk
Butler
T K H
TK
Cobb
S V
SV
Moody
A D R
AD
Comaish
I F
IF
Haworth
S M
SM
Gregson
R M
RM
Ash
I M
IM
Brown
S M
SM
Eastgate
R M
RM
Griffiths
G D
GD
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