Study to investigate new treatment for lazy eye

Young boy covering his eye with his hand
28 Sep 2011 16:11:15.640
PA 288/11

Researchers at The University of Nottingham are seeking children with amblyopia — also known as lazy eye — for a study investigating potential new treatments for the condition.

The team of experts based in the Visual Neuroscience Group in the University’s School of Psychology are looking for children (age 5-12 yrs), for research exploring whether computer-based visual tasks can help to improve vision in the weak eye.

Dr Paul McGraw, who is leading the research said: “We have tested these new techniques on adults with amblyopia and the results have been impressive. Substantial and long lasting improvements in vision have been generated. We now want to find out if this approach is equally effective in younger people with this condition.”
Click here for full story

Amblyopia is a condition in which one eye is substantially weaker than the other eye, typically detected early in childhood. It is the most common cause of vision problems in children and often cannot be corrected with the use of spectacles alone. The traditional treatment is occlusion therapy, which involves patching of the healthy eye for long periods of time. If the condition is not corrected early on, it can result in a range of visual impairments in adulthood, such as a lack of depth perception, which can restrict the person’s day-to-day activities and their ability to take up certain professions.

The study, funded by the European Commission, will investigate whether computer-based tasks that challenge the eye can offer long-lasting improvements in vision above and beyond the improvements obtained with patching therapy.

Volunteers for the study will be asked to come to the University around 10 to 12 times. The first session, lasting between 30 – 60 minutes, involves checking volunteers’ eyesight, followed by measuring some visual functions.

Subsequent sessions of around 30 to 45 minutes will involve training using a computer-based visual task. For children, the task is designed to resemble a computer game so that they remain engaged throughout the session. During the final session, volunteers’ eyesight is re-measured in the same way as during the first session to determine whether the training has produced any improvement in their vision.

Volunteers who participate in at least 10 sessions are offered a £100 inconvenience payment at the end of the study.

The researchers are also testing adults with amblyopia in a shorter duration study (1-3 sessions), aimed at mapping distortions in the visual field

Anyone interested in participating can contact Dr Zahra Hussain on 07816 003863 or by email at Zahra.hussain@nottingham.ac.uk

— Ends —

Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘Europe’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking, a league table of the world’s most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions, which ranked Nottingham second in the world overall.

The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.

More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news

Story credits

More information is available from Dr Zahra Hussain on +44 7816003863 Zahra.hussain@nottingham.ac.uk

Emma Thorne Emma Thorne - Media Relations Manager

Email: emma.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)115 951 5793 Location: University Park

Additional resources

No additional resources for this article

Related articles

Media Relations - External Relations

The University of Nottingham
YANG Fujia Building
Jubilee Campus
Wollaton Road
Nottingham, NG8 1BB

telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 5798
email: pressoffice@nottingham.ac.uk