Binocular vision: Latest research on amblyopia treatment

Amblyopia is a visual impairment caused by abnormal early visual experience, which results in a functional imbalance between the two eyes. This disorder is characterised by reduced visual acuity in the ‘weak eye’, and by perceptual deficits such as in contrast sensitivity and position acuity.

Many amblyopes, particularly strabismic amblyopes, suffer from greatly reduced stereoscopic depth perception. This can have a profound impact on everyday life. However, most treatments for amblyopia tend to concentrate on the restoration of visual acuity, and there has been little focus on the recovery of stereopsis.

Interest in this has been prompted by a number of case studies of patients in adulthood who have recovered stereopsis, and have seen dramatic improvements in all aspects of their vision. This is especially interesting, as the predominant belief was that treatment for amblyopia was not possible in adulthood. Current research is therefore involved in development of treatments with more focus on recovery of stereopsis, in childhood as well as in adulthood.