New perspectives in amblyopia treatment: Is amblyopia treatable only in early childhood and is the patching really the best option?
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| Year of publication | 2013 |
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| Description | Amblyopia is a common visual disorder that results in spatial acuity deficit in an affected eye and subsequent binocular dysfunction. It is considered as a developmental abnormality, caused by deficient binocular visual experience early in life - specifically within the restricted time windows when brain is high sensitive to visual signals (the period referred as “Critical Period”). Conventional treatment for amblyopia involves optical correction and penalization of the fellow ("good") eye. Penalization or occlusion therapy ("patching") remains the gold standard in amblyopia treatment, despite it is not without concerns. However, lately a large body of evidence for plasticity in adults brain emerged. Results from animal studies and clinical trials challenge the traditional view. A previously unsuspected potential for promoting brain plasticity after the closure of critical period has been unveiled and new intervention strategies has been suggested. |