RevitalVision Therapy Shows Long-Term Visual Improvement in Amblyopia Patients: Study
Researchers have found in a new study involving 89 amblyopia patients, including adults, that visual acuity gradually improved for up to 5 years with the use of RevitalVision, a home-based perceptual learning therapy. Notably, 17 participants experienced a three-line improvement in logMAR visual acuity. This study was conducted by Damaris M. and colleagues published in the Latin American Journal of Ophthalmology.
The research was carried out at a tertiary eye care facility and involved 89 amblyopic patients who had already reached their optimal visual gain from glasses and patching treatment. These patients then received 30 to 40 sessions of PLT with the RevitalVision software from home. The training consisted of visual perceptual exercises with Gabor patches, intended to improve contrast sensitivity and spatial resolution—amblyopia's major deficits.
Visual acuity of patients was assessed at baseline, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years to assess the duration of the treatment effects. The software training aimed at neuroplastic changes in the brain to enhance the processing of visual information.
Results
The research identified statistically significant and consistent improvements in visual acuity with time. The average visual acuity on the LogMAR chart increased from 0.56 ± 0.27 at baseline to 0.30 ± 0.24 after more than three years. This is a clinically significant gain in visual sharpness for most patients.
Key clinical and demographic findings are:
• 83% of participants demonstrated visual improvement after PLT.
• The increase was seen in unilateral as well as bilateral amblyopia, with findings statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Type of amblyopia split-up:
• Refractive amblyopia: 89.87%
• Strabismic amblyopia: 4.49%
• Combined mechanism: 3.37%
• Deprivation amblyopia: 2.25%
• Age was not a prognostic factor, with changes observed in all age groups without statistically significant age differences.
• The findings suggest that PLT is effective in various amblyopia subtypes and age groups, making it a universally applicable treatment.
Perceptual learning therapy showed major and lasting improvements in visual acuity in amblyopic patients, even after traditional treatments had plateaued. These visual improvements were maintained through five years of follow-up, validating PLT as a valuable long-term treatment option. The ease of access, stability, and broad applicability to age groups and types of amblyopia render it an attractive addition to amblyopia treatment regimens.
Reference:
Damaris Magdalene​1,, Pritam Dutta2, Phinrikerbha Blah3, T. R. Sharannya3, Rohit Sharma3, Rumi Prova Nath4, Krishna Das4. Long-term efficacy of perceptual learning therapy in amblyopia: A 5-year follow-up study. Latin American Journal of Ophthalmology, 2025:8,8. doi:10.25259/LAJO_2_2025
