title: Dichoptic training improves contrast sensitivity in adults with amblyopia.
abstract: Dichoptic training is designed to promote binocular vision in patients with amblyopia. Initial studies have found that the training effects transfer to both binocular (stereopsis) and monocular (recognition acuity) visual functions. The aim of this study was to assess whether dichoptic training effects also transfer to contrast sensitivity (CS) in adults with amblyopia. We analyzed CS data from 30 adults who had taken part in one of two previous dichoptic training studies and assessed whether the changes in CS exceeded the 95% confidence intervals for change based on test-retest data from a separate group of observers with amblyopia. CS was measured using Gabor patches (0.5, 3 and 10cpd) before and after 10days of dichoptic training. Training was delivered using a dichoptic video game viewed through video goggles (n=15) or on an iPod touch equipped with a lenticular overlay screen (n=15). In the iPod touch study, training was combined with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the visual cortex. We found that dichoptic training significantly improved CS across all spatial frequencies tested for both groups. These results suggest that dichoptic training modifies the sensitivity of the neural systems that underpin monocular CS.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Jinrong
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Department of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, New Zealand; McGill Vision Research, McGill University, Canada.
authors: Daniel P
authors: DP
authors: Spiegel
authors: McGill Vision Research, McGill University, Canada.
authors: Robert F
authors: RF
authors: Hess
authors: State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Zidong
authors: Z
authors: Chen
authors: School of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
authors: Lily Y L
authors: LY
authors: Chan
authors: State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors: Daming
authors: D
authors: Deng
authors: State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: Yuminbin@126.com.
authors: Minbin
authors: M
authors: Yu
authors: Department of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, New Zealand; School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Canada. Electronic address: ben.thompson@uwaterloo.ca.
authors: Benjamin
authors: B
authors: Thompson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000550:Amblyopia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D003867:Depth Perception / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018910:Video Games; D015348:Vision, Binocular / Q000502:physiology*; D015349:Vision, Monocular / Q000502:physiology; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Amblyopia; Binocular vision; Contrast sensitivity; Dichoptic training; Perceptual learning