What do Video Games Have to Do with Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)?
As children and adolescents, many of us were told that spending too much time watching television of playing video games was bad for our eyes – it could even turn them square! But in recent years, research has indicated that playing a popular video game could actually help to treat a common childhood condition.
Amblyopia (Lazy Eye)
Amblyopia, more commonly known as “lazy eye” is a common childhood ailment that can significantly affect vision. It is estimated to affect around three in every 100 children, in whom one eye does not develop quite as it should.
This means that the patient becomes more reliant on their good eye, while the underdeveloped eye becomes increasingly “lazy”, hence the name “lazy eye”. In many. cases, amblyopia is also accompanied by a squint (when the eyes do not look in the same direction). When left untreated, vision in the affected eye continues to deteriorate and can even be lost completely.
Thankfully, amblyopia is typically very treatable by compelling the amblyopic eye to work harder. This is typically achieved by covering the dominant eye with a patch. Patching the stronger eye is very effective in children, particularly when diagnosis and treatment is made early; however, it has been shown to have little to no effects when applied in adults. But there may be an alternative.
Recent research by Dr. Robert Hess of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, suggests that isolating the eyes may not be the only solution for treating amblyopia. He instead theorised that forcing them to cooperate, rather than encouraging them to work independently, could hold the answer – and he suggested a novel way to achieve this.
Tetris – A New Treatment for Amblyopia?
Dr. Hess’s research, which was published in the Cell Press journal, involved recruiting adults with amblyopia and asking them to play Tetris – a well-known game that involves stacking falling blocks. Eighteen participants were split into two groups. One group would be instructed to play Tetris using the traditional eye patch method for treating amblyopia, while the second group would play the game while wearing a specially designed pair of ‘gaming goggles’.
These goggles adapted the conventional game of Tetris by allowing one eye to only see the falling blocks, while the other eye could only see the ground plane objects. This forced the eyes to work together to solve the puzzle.
Participants in each group were asked to wear either the patch or the goggles while playing Tetris for an hour a day over two weeks.
The Results
After the two-week study period was over, the group who had played Tetris while wearing the gaming goggles demonstrated a greater improvement in their vision compared to individuals in the patched group. The goggle-wearing individuals also recorded improvements in their depth perception.
Moreover, when the patched group, who showed only a moderate improvement in their vision, switched to the gaming goggles, they too experienced a greater improvement. These results indicated that forcing the eyes to work together could be a more effective method of treating amblyopia in adults.
But this isn’t the only condition where Tetris could prove useful. Several studies have assessed the therapeutic potential of playing Tetris, including for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and to help people curb unhealthy cravings!
Amblyopia can have a significant impact on everyday life if left untreated. But that isn;t to say it will prevent you from being a candidate for Laser Eye Surgery. Get in touch with one of our friendly clinic coordinators or Book a Consultation today to learn more.