Abstract: Compared with traditional therapy, VR vision therapy provides a more engaging and immersive experience, which can improve patients' cooperation and motivation during treatment.
This article is part of a series dedicated to the eye and improving vision recovery by William A. Haseltine, a scientist, businessman, author, philanthropist, and founder of ACCESS Health International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing innovative solutions in healthcare.
William A. Haseltine
For nearly two decades, Haseltine has been a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, creating two academic research departments: biochemical pharmacology and human retrovirology. He also published an autobiography, My Lifelong Struggle with Disease.
The following is the full text translation:
In 1999, I defined regenerative medicine as a set of interventions aimed at restoring the normal function of tissues and organs damaged by disease, trauma, or time, including chemical, genetic and protein drugs, cell therapies, and biomechanical interventions.
Binocular vision impairment can affect the coordination of both eyes, leading to various vision problems such as strabismus, amblyopia, and convergent insufficiency. The coordination of binocular vision functions is essential for clear vision of three-dimensional objects.
There are several ways to treat disorders of modulation and concentrating function, including lens and vision therapy. However, recent studies have shown that virtual reality is an effective treatment for binocular vision impairment.
What is binocular vision impairment?
Visual impairment can affect the ability of the eyes to work together. Strabismus makes it impossible to align the eyes and look in the same direction. Amblyopia can cause poor vision in one eye. Insufficient convergence function can affect the ability to focus on nearby objects, affecting reading and working at close range.
Recent studies have shown that up to 17.6% of the general population may have problems with convergent insufficiency, while up to 20.2% may have adaptive dysfunction.
The binocular vision feature is the ability of two eyes to work together to provide a single, clear image of the surrounding environment. This involves two basic functions: adaptation and convergence.
Adjustment refers to the ability of the eye to adjust its focus to see objects at different distances, including changes in the shape of the eyeball's lens, which focuses light onto the retina. The process of convergence involves focusing both eyes inward on nearby objects, ensuring that both eyes are focused on the same object and creating a single, clear image.
Conditioning and convergence are key components of binocular vision because they allow us to see three-dimensional objects clearly. Proper coordination between these two functions is essential, as any deficiency can lead to blurred vision and difficulty with vision.
Both processes require complex interactions between vision, nerves, and brain systems, and any abnormalities in these systems can disrupt binocular vision, leading to various visual problems such as strabismus, amblyopia, and convergence deficiency. Understanding the complexity of binocular vision function is critical to effectively diagnosing and treating visual impairment.
Common treatments for visual impairment
There are many options for treating conditioning and convergence dysfunction, including lenses, prisms, and vision treatments. The best treatment may be a combination of these options depending on the individual's needs and circumstances.
Doctors usually recommend corrective lenses to address adjustment and convergence dysfunction. These lenses amplify visual clarity and improve focusing. In addition, the lenses can correct alignment problems and reduce eye fatigue.
Prisms solve dual vision problems by bending light, presenting a unified image that can be combined with glasses to aid eye recovery after surgery and head trauma. Different prisms can correct different problems such as vertical/horizontal misalignment and image distortion.
Patients with conditioning and convergence dysfunction can benefit from vision treatment. This treatment includes targeted exercises and activities aimed at improving binocular vision and improving visual alignment and coordination.
Vision therapy can be conducted in a clinical setting, guided by a trained therapist, or the patient can choose an individualized family treatment plan. This office-based convergence/conditioning therapy (OBVAT) has proven to be highly effective in improving binocular function, especially in patients with convergence insufficiency.
Virtual reality and gamification for visual impairment
A recent study by Sichuan University in China found that virtual reality can treat binocular vision impairment.
This randomized controlled trial aimed to compare virtual reality-based vision therapy with office-based fusion and conditioning therapy (OBVAT) in treating young people with convergence insufficiency or regulatory dysfunction. Participants were randomly assigned to either virtual reality-based vision therapy or office-based fusion/conditioning therapy.
VR vision therapy uses an innovative technique that presents a slightly different image to each eye, allowing the vision of both eyes to be separated. Participants see different images on a virtual reality screen, creating a horizontal convergence requirement.
The images depict images of humans and animals as well as objects like gourds. Deliberately blurring the background and using stimuli to improve visibility forced participants to adjust the convergence function. Notably, participants were trained to improve their ability to converge and diverge.
Vision treatment lasted 12 weeks, with each group receiving 1 hour of treatment per week. Assessments were conducted at the start of the study, at six weeks and after 12 weeks of treatment.
The researchers measured participants' binocular visual functions, such as convergence and accommodation, and using a subjective questionnaire method, the study evaluated parameters such as distance and near-horizontal dark aberration, modulation convergence ratio (ACA), monocular adjustment amplitude, and monocular adjustment function.
After treatment, patients treated with both VR vision therapy and OBVAT experienced significant improvements in convergence insufficiency and regulatory dysfunction.
This finding suggests that VR vision therapy and OBVAT vision therapy are effective complementary treatment options for younger patients. However, it is worth noting that the OBVAT group performed better in monocular adjustment function than the VR vision treatment group. However, this study confirms that VR is a viable new treatment for binocular vision impairment.
Another study by Imam Khomeini International University found that contrast-based virtual reality games can have a positive impact on amblyopia treatment.
The study explored a range of experimental approaches to improving visual function in adults, including a clinical trial video game. The therapy involves the evaluation of optical parameters and the use of 3D video games with virtual reality devices and Android devices.
The study concluded that the 3D video game used in the experiment has the potential to treat amblyopia in adults. These findings highlight the role of innovative technologies in the medical field, paving the way for improved treatment options and ultimately better outcomes.
The future of VR vision impairment treatment
Compared to traditional therapy, VR vision therapy provides a more engaging and immersive experience, which can improve the cooperation and motivation of patients during the treatment process.
These studies have shown that VR vision therapy can effectively improve convergence dysfunction and regulatory dysfunction, suggesting that it has the potential to replace traditional therapies.
It's also worth noting that optimized, diverse, and personalized VR vision therapy is more effective. Future research should explore different training strategies and protocols in the field of VR vision therapy to maximize its benefits and tailor treatment options to the needs of patients.
This article compiles from:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2023/09/17/through-a-new-lens-the-promise-of-virtual-reality-for-enhancing-vision-therapy/?sh=515f146b64a2
Compilation/R Star Man (the pictures in the text are all from the Internet)
Like it and let's go~