Experts from the Tel Aviv University Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, led by eye and brain specialist Dr. Uri Polat, recently announced the completion of a new form of treating amblyopia, more commonly known as “the lazy eye syndrome,” a condition that affects one in four children. Current treatments involve wearing an eye patch for months on end, an experience that can be very traumatic for the little ones, especially during a time when they form their personalities. They are often subjected to abuse in school because of their condition, and can develop stigmas that last into adulthood.
The new method relies on correcting not the lazy eye itself, but the activity of the neurons inside the brain, which trigger the condition. Currently available only for adults, the new option could allow children to correct their defects while at the same time enjoying a fun game. In the adult version, random objects appear on a computer screen at all times, keeping the user alert and expecting the unexpected. According to Polat, just 20 hours in front of a computer running this game have roughly the same effects as 500 hours (nearly three weeks) of wearing the eye patch.
“As far as I know this is really a one-of-a-kind, non-invasive and effective way to treat lazy eye, without the use of an embarrassing eye patch. This is probably the first treatment that attempts to correct lazy eyes in adults, something that doctors had previously given up on. Doctors don't suggest intervention after the age of nine, because it usually doesn't work,” Polat says of his method. Details of the Israelian achievement appeared in a number of scientific publications over the years, including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
“You see these poor kids in kindergarten wearing the patch. Everyone hates it, especially the parents who know what it's doing to their kid's self-esteem. My aim is to not only treat adults, but to treat kids using a computer two or three times a week, one hour each time, without the need for them having to wear a patch,” he adds. At this point, the researcher and his team are working on a new version of the game, one that would be more appealing to children, and capture their imagination.
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